Faster access to medicines for New Zealanders.
The Associate Health Minister, David Seymour, has welcomed a decision by Cabinet to enable medicines to be approved within less than 30 days if they have approval from two recognized overseas jurisdictions. The Medicines Amendment Bill, which amends the Medicines Act 1981, includes this pathway that will be operational by early 2026.
The policy aims to increase access to medicines for Kiwis by introducing a streamlined verification process. It is based on recognizing countries such as Australia, the United States, Canada, and others, which Medsafe currently recognizes. This change is expected to save months in the approval process, as seen with a treatment for asthma that could have been approved in 2022 but was not until May 2024.
The Minister believes this is a "common-sense efficiency" that costs nothing and helps Kiwis in need. The Government has also made other changes to improve access to medicines, including allocating Pharmac its largest budget ever and making patient voice a crucial consideration in funding decisions.