Free scripts for NZ kids
May 16, 2014
THE New Zealand government
has released its 2014-15 budget
in which it said it would set aside
NZ$90m for free prescriptions and
general practitioner (GP) visits for
children under 13 years of age (PD
breaking news yesterday).
The move was part of the NZ
government providing extra
support for families and young
children, Finance Minister Bill
English said in the budget summary.
The policy will begin on 01 July
2015 and the budget provided for
$30m in 2015-16, $30m in 2016-17
and $30m in 2017-18.
Previously, prescriptions were
only free for children under six,
with subsidised medicines incurring
a prescription charge of NZ$5.
A cap exists at 20 prescription
items a year, when a Prescription
Subsidy Card is issued and
prescriptions are free until 01 Feb
the next year.
The policy would affect more than
400,000 children in the country, NZ
Minister for Health Tony Ryall said.
This was a preventative health
measure in that parents would be
more likely to seek treatment for
children before their condition
worsened and would help reduce
the number of children presenting
at emergency departments with
GP-treatable illnesses, he said.
The NZ health budget will have
another NZ$1.8b pumped into it
over four years, according to the
budget, which would take it to a
total NZ$15.6b next year.
New initiatives included
NZ$32.7m for faster cancer
treatment, Ryall said.
The Pharmacy Guild of New
Zealand (PGNZ) ceo Lee Hohaia said
the free prescriptions and GP visits
was a big win for communities as
it would help families struggling to
cover medical costs.
“The Guild has always supported
the targeting of co-payments, and
is pleased to see this being applied
to children under 13.
“We would welcome further
extension of this targeting to other
at risk groups such as the elderly
and high deprivation communities.”
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