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Submissions

NZ Parliament Medicines Amendment Bill

Posted in Government; Tagged Government, Accessibility; Posted 9 months ago by DPA Less than a minute to read

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To: Health Select Committee
Date: May 2025

 

Purpose

This submission’s primary purpose is to support the Bill's passing, albeit with crucial amendments, to ensure fair and improved access to medicines for disabled people. DPA aims to enhance consumer voices, particularly those of disabled individuals, throughout the medicine approval processes and to ensure that healthcare professionals with new prescribing powers receive adequate disability responsiveness training to effectively meet the needs of disabled patients.

Summary of DPA submission

DPA supports the Medicines Amendment Bill 2025, with certain amendments, as fair access to medicines is crucial for disabled people managing impairments and health conditions. DPA highlights that disabled people experience poorer health outcomes than non-disabled individuals; Statistics New Zealand’s Household Disability Survey 2023 shows that 39% of disabled adults reported their health as "not very good, very good or excellent" compared to only 6% of non-disabled adults. This disparity means disabled people are more likely to take prescription medications but often encounter significant barriers to access due to healthcare workers’ limited understanding of their disability needs.

DPA supports the Bill's intention to streamline medicine approval processes and update prescription practices by recognising nurse practitioners as prescribers, as well as the faster verification pathway for medicine approval, provided safety is emphasised.

DPA also supports the proposal to broaden prescribing powers to more medical professionals within their fields.

However, DPA strongly recommends that the increasing number of health workers gaining prescribing powers undertake disability responsiveness and awareness training to effectively meet the needs of disabled people when prescribing.

DPA's key recommendations focus on enhancing the voice of health consumers, including disabled people, throughout the medicine approval process. Firstly, DPA recommends amending Section 9(3) of the Bill to mandate the appointment of a consumer representative to the Medicines Classification Committee, which currently lacks such representation. Furthermore, DPA believes a consumer representative should be appointed to the Medicines Classifications Committee.

 

Supporting Statement 1:

DPA notes that the Medicines Classifications Committee currently lacks a consumer representative, which is an oversight that needs correction to ensure that the perspectives of those affected by medicine approvals are included in crucial decision-making.

 

Supporting Statement 2:

Enhancing consumer voices, particularly those of disabled people, throughout the approval process for new medicines is a central tenet of DPA's submission, as it ensures that the diverse needs and lived experiences of patients are considered.

 
 
 

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DPA Submission 2505 NZ Parliament Medicines Amendment Bill (DOCX)

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