Director General of Health, Stephen McKernanFriday 27 June 2008, 2:53PM
Media release from Director General of Health, Stephen
McKernan
The Director-General of Health has confirmed that there is no
formal review of the current pharmaceutical policy allowing access
to publicly funded medicines for prescriptions written by private
specialists.
Director-General Stephen McKernan noted that private individuals
were responsible for paying the costs of pharmaceuticals associated
with private hospital episodes of care. In-patient costs in
private hospitals, including pharmaceutical costs, are separate
from the publicly-funded health and disability system.
The issue arose because some additional DHBs are considering
whether to discontinue their subsidy of laboratory tests performed
on patients receiving private specialist care.
In the community, pharmaceuticals are subsidised by Government
under the Pharmaceutical Schedule regardless of where the
prescription is generated.
The Director-General will clarify the issues with the Health
Committee.
BACKGROUND
Any medicine on the pharmaceutical schedule prescribed for eligible
people by an authorised provider is public subsidised.
Currently this includes private specialists.