Comparing the reimbursement of new medicines between Australia and New Zealand/Author reply: exploring the implications of a fixed budget for new medicines: a study of reimbursement of new medicines in Australia and New Zealand

[...]it cannot measure whether the gains would be greater than if the same money was spent elsewhere in the healthcare sector, for instance through improved access to primary care, healthcare infrastructure or non-pharmaceutical healthcare technologies.11 It could be argued that paying too high a pr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Australian health review 2016-01, Vol.40 (1), p.118
Main Authors: Ragupathy, Rajan, Babar, Zaheer-UD-Din, Taylor, Colman B, Wonder, Michael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Budgets
Cancer
Colleges & universities
Cost analysis
Expenditures
Funding
Government agencies
Growth hormones
Health care
Health technology assessment
Life expectancy
Medical screening
Pharmaceutical industry
Pharmaceuticals
Pharmacy
Prices
Reimbursement
Studies
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Summary:[...]it cannot measure whether the gains would be greater than if the same money was spent elsewhere in the healthcare sector, for instance through improved access to primary care, healthcare infrastructure or non-pharmaceutical healthcare technologies.11 It could be argued that paying too high a premium for pharmaceuticals, or indeed favouring any healthcare intervention over others, actually worsens health outcomes and harms equity.12 PHARMAC has also questioned whether decreased access to medicines has an impact on the health outcomes in New Zealand.13However, there are no studies being conducted in New Zealand looking at whether there is any effect of new treatments on health outcomes and longevity. Despite the US spending a large amount on pharmaceuticals, its patient cost-sharing schemes have been criticised.15 In the UK, the establishment of a special 'cancer drugs fund' has been criticised for not meeting the requirement of 'value for money' established by the NICE.16 In this context, the New Zealand model of cost-effectiveness seems to trade rapid access to some newly developed medicines for nationally consistent access, low patient cost sharing and pharmaceutical cost containment.
ISSN:0156-5788
1449-8944
DOI:10.1071/AH15070