Urge Pharmac to fund lifesaving medicines for all New Zealand children
Urge Pharmac to fund lifesaving medicines for all New Zealand children
Why this petition matters
#nochildleftbehind
Pharmac, New Zealand’s medicine buying agency, is considering changing the way children’s cancer medicines are funded.
The agency is currently consulting on a change to rule 8.1b of the Pharmaceutical Schedule, which could limit access to life saving, changing and extending medicines for Kiwi kids with cancer.
Pharmac are doing this to ‘even the playing field’ between Kiwi kids with cancer and children with other illnesses.
Until now, children with cancer have been given access to any medicine needed for treatment - regardless of whether it is publicly funded.
New Zealand leads the world when it comes to five-year survival rates for children with cancer.
Meanwhile, many children with chronic, rare and acute conditions have suffered because New Zealand sits at the bottom of the developed world for access to modern medicines.
Instead of taking medicines away from children with cancer, we want Pharmac to extend rule 8.1b to all New Zealand children living with illness.
We want all New Zealand children to enjoy the best health outcomes possible and for our country to truly be the greatest place in the world to raise a child.
Please sign our petition to urge Pharmac to extend rule 8.1b to all New Zealand children.
We welcome you to join us on Wednesday 14 December at the New Zealand Parliament, to help us present this petition.
Read and here more about Pharmac’s proposal here: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/300728079/advocate-gutted-as-pharmac-reviews-blanket-funding-of-child-cancer-medicines