Te Tiratū has spoken with Whakaata Māori with serious concerns about proposed changes to access criteria for funded type 2 diabetes medicines, warning the removal of ethnicity-based pathways could worsen long-standing inequities for Māori and Pacific peoples.
The proposed changes by Pharmac would widen general access to medicines including empagliflozin, liraglutide and dulaglutide, but remove the current pathway that recognises the disproportionate burden of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and kidney disease experienced by Māori and Pacific communities.
Te Tiratū co-chair Glen Tupuhi says equity pathways exist because the health system has consistently failed to deliver equitable outcomes for Māori, who are diagnosed younger, experience more severe illness, and die sooner from preventable chronic conditions.
Associate Professor Dr Ryan Paul, clinician and expert technical advisor to Te Tiratū, said he was “really gutted” by the proposal, particularly given the success of the current pathway in improving equitable access to life-saving medicines for Māori and Pacific whānau.
Māori clinicians and health leaders warn the proposal risks reversing one of the most successful equity interventions introduced in recent years.
The consultation closes on 28 May 2026.