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David Seymour said the government was working as quickly as possible to find funding for the drug.
photo: RNZ/Nick Monro
Medicines and Consumer Products Regulatory Minister David Seymour says National’s controversial list of 13 cancer drugs could risk cancer patients being overlooked in the political race.
He told reporters he did not have the power to override the Cabinet process when it came to delivering on National’s promise to fund specific cancer treatments. checkpoint.
It remains unclear how treatment will be paid for and when it will arrive, with ministers making conflicting statements since the Budget.
Seymour said we are working on some solutions as quickly as possible.
However, during the first parliamentary scrutiny week, Health Minister Shane Reti doubled down on the need to fund the 13 cancer drugs.
Although the budget failed to materialize, it still sparked a public outcry.
Medical professionals, including Oncologist Chris Jackson also raised concerns Some of the drugs on the list have expired. Pharmac’s independence and bargaining power are undermined By politicians.
Seymour told checking point: “We are part of a coalition government and we are committed to doing our best in every situation to deliver on the promises made to voters by our three component parties.”
Asked if National’s move was undermining Pharmac’s interests, he replied: “Ultimately it’s Pharmac that makes the funding decisions to choose the best treatments we can afford within a fixed budget.”
“In defence of National’s commitment, all three parties signed up to this commitment. This is not a commitment from politicians. This is a commitment from the Cancer Control Agency, which was set up by the Government to look into cancer-related issues.
“They said, in terms of cancer treatment, these drugs are available in Australia but not here, so we think they should be prioritised.”
If he commits to funding these 13 specific drugs, it will go beyond the process set by Cabinet.
“I think what we need right now is a really rigorous and thoughtful approach to get the best outcomes for patients who are being forgotten by all the politics here.”
He recognized that access to these drugs was critical for cancer patients.
“There’s probably more politics involved than there needs to be at this point.”
However, the correct procedure is to submit a document outlining the options to Cabinet.
These include directing Pharmac to fund specific medicines, giving it more funding or establishing “alternative pathways” to buy medicines, as the previous government did to buy Covid-19 vaccines.
“Out of respect for my Cabinet colleagues, I’m not going to start speculating on what that decision is,” he said.
“I think it’s fair to say we are discussing these options as quickly as possible to ensure we deliver a good service for every patient, while also delivering on the promises that the parties, in this case National, have made to the people of New Zealand.”
In response to a question about a possible announcement next week, he said “if that were the case, there would be no need for me to announce it earlier”.
“If there is an announcement to be made next week, it will be made by Cabinet and will indicate how things should be done, that the voice of everyone in government is heard and that decision is signed off by us.”
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