Funding Medicines in New Zealand: Revision of the Medicines waiting list to 30 June 2019

An update of the Medicines Waiting List report has just been released. The Medicines Waiting List shows how long patients have been waiting for medicines that have been positively recommended by PHARMAC’s clinical expert committee PTAC but are not yet funded by PHARMAC. This report is the fifth of it’s type and also compares the current waiting list of medicines as at 30 June 2019 against the previous four reports.

Click the image to read the full report

View the medicines waiting list one-pager here

Key findings from the Medicines Waiting List update include:

  • There are 105 new listings on the waiting list.
  • The average time a medicine sits on the waiting list is 4.15 years and counting.
  • The longest waiting time for a medicine is 15 years and counting.
  • On average, the waiting list grows by 5 new listings a year.

The existence of a waiting list of more than 100 recommended medicines is evidence that PHARMAC’s funding processes and budget levels require review.