In a recent opinion piece in Pharmacy Today, our expert advisor on prescription medicine Dr Leanne Te Karu warns that proposed changes by Pharmac could make health inequities worse for Māori and Pacific whānau.
Pharmac is thinking about removing a rule that helps Māori and Pacific peoples get better access to important diabetes medicines like SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Right now, Māori and Pacific peoples are more likely to get diabetes earlier, get sicker faster, and not always get the same access to the medicines and care they need. The current system was designed to help fix this by making sure people who need it most can get these medicines sooner.
Evidence shows this approach has been working, more Māori and Pacific peoples have been able to access treatment, and it has helped improve health outcomes and survival.
Removing this support before the wider system is fixed could mean going backwards.
Submissions close 28 May. This is a chance to speak up for fair access to life-saving medicines for our whānau.