17 Apr 2016

Kiwis' access to drugs limited under TPP, Medicines NZ says

6:08 pm on 17 April 2016

The drugs industry is telling MPs that it's unhappy with the Trans Pacific Partnership provisions relating to their industry.

The drugs industry is telling MPs that it's unhappy with the Trans Pacific Partnership provisions relating to their industry.

It wants more freedom to challenge the drug buying policies of the government agency Pharmac.

Medicines New Zealand said in its submission to Parliaments' Foreign Affairs and Defence select committee that it broadly supported the ratification of the agreement.

But it was unhappy with how the government intended to "narrowly interpret" the agreement as it relates to medicines.

The industry should have the right to have input into Pharmac's decisions on what medicines were funded, and there should be a right of appeal to Pharmac's decisions, its submission said.

Medicines New Zealand's chair Heather Roy saif the government's interpretation would have a negative impact on the ability of New Zealanders to get access to world-class medicines.