Podcasts about Pharmac

Pharmac has recently proposed changing who can receive funded treatment for key diabetes medication, moving it in line with a cabinet directive from 2024 saying public services should be prioritised on the basis of need, not race. There has been an outcry from health professionals, such as the cardiac network, saying data shows that Maori and Pacific people are more at risk of diabetes, regardless of their socio-economic status, and the best way to maximise health benefit for dollars spent is by targeting these groups. Further criticism has been directed at Health NZ, which has banned the cardio network from objecting to the removal of eligibility criteria, saying it would breach the 2024 cabinet directive. Cardiologists will be forced to make submissions as individuals, a move the network has said is silencing scientific evidence in the name of politics  To discuss the eligibility changes and Health NZ silencing cardiologists, host Thomas spoke to Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton.

This week on the Monday Wire... For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party, host Thomas spoke to ACT MP Simon Court about the party's proposed Nationally Determined contribution towards the Paris Agreement, funding for the Liquified Natural gas import terminal and public transport policy. He also talked to Victoria University Professor of Climate Science & Physical Geography James Renwick about a study which found concerns with costal flooding events in Wellington. And he spoke to Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton about Pharmac changing eligibility criteria for diabetes medication and Health NZ stopping cardiology groups from objecting. Caeden also spoke to Asthma and Respiratory Foundation New Zealand Chief Executive Letitia Harding about calls from the World Health Organisation to ban flavoured tobacco products.

Pharmac has recently proposed changing who can receive funded treatment for key diabetes medication, moving it in line with a cabinet directive from 2024 saying public services should be prioritised on the basis of need, not race. There has been an outcry from health professionals, such as the cardiac network, saying data shows that Maori and Pacific people are more at risk of diabetes, regardless of their socio-economic status, and the best way to maximise health benefit for dollars spent is by targeting these groups. Further criticism has been directed at Health NZ, which has banned the cardio network from objecting to the removal of eligibility criteria, saying it would breach the 2024 cabinet directive. Cardiologists will be forced to make submissions as individuals, a move the network has said is silencing scientific evidence in the name of politics  To discuss the eligibility changes and Health NZ silencing cardiologists, host Thomas spoke to Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton.

This week on the Monday Wire... For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party, host Thomas spoke to ACT MP Simon Court about the party's proposed Nationally Determined contribution towards the Paris Agreement, funding for the Liquified Natural gas import terminal and public transport policy. He also talked to Victoria University Professor of Climate Science & Physical Geography James Renwick about a study which found concerns with costal flooding events in Wellington. And he spoke to Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton about Pharmac changing eligibility criteria for diabetes medication and Health NZ stopping cardiology groups from objecting. Caeden also spoke to Asthma and Respiratory Foundation New Zealand Chief Executive Letitia Harding about calls from the World Health Organisation to ban flavoured tobacco products.

National's Matt Doocey and Labour's Reuben Davidson joined John MacDonald for Politics Friday this week. They covered some of the biggest topics from the week from early prison releases, the Pegasus Golf Course, and a petition gaining signatures to increase bereavement leave from three days to ten. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A patient advocate says as far as our health system goes .. there's barely enough money allocated to "keep the lights on" let alone develop any services. Malcolm Mulholland is also critical of the fact no extra funding's been announced for the 100 new medicines Pharmac wanted to supply. He spoke to Lisa Owen

A diabetes organisation is worried about the possible impact of a Pharmac proposal to remove ethnicity as a criteria for several type two diabetes drugs. Maori and Pasifika are at greater risk of developing type two diabetes and in 2021 it was decided to prioritise access to these patients. 

An early morning sports news update.

The Associate Health Minister's praising a proposal to offer free flu jabs to more people. Pharmac's looking at providing the jabs to an extra 260 thousand children between six months and five-years-old from next year. It's also proposing introducing two new brands for over 65s. David Seymour told Mike Hosking some young people still die every year from influenza, and as every parent knows, they also spread it around the household. He says the cost-benefit of this stacks up, and it's a great thing for Pharmac to be looking into. Consultation opens mid-June. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pharmac's looking to expand free flu vaccines to the group with the highest rates of influenza. The agency's looking at providing jabs to an extra 260 thousand children, between six months and five-years-old, from next year. Otago University Public Health Professor Michael Baker told Ryan Bridge a small number in this age range die from influenza every year. He says given they often infect other family members, other countries around the world are already funding vaccines for under-fives. Baker says vaccines remain the best way to develop immunity. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maori and Pacific people with type two diabetes would no longer get priority access to medicines, under a proposal by Pharmac. Maori News Journalist Pokere Paewai reports.

On Thursday, Pharmac announced it has added semaglutide, better known by its brand name Wegovy, to its list of medicines suitable for future funding. It's on the Options For Investment list which is for medications that Pharmac would like to fund if it has the budget to do so. Hopefully this will come about sooner than later. I'm not talking about funding it for every Tom, Dick and Harry who wants to lose a few kgs, but for the seriously obese who are dealing with all the risks and diseases that come with it - such as diabetes, renal failure, cardiovascular disease and impacts on joints. At this stage the criteria for funding the drug states it would be available for people with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 50 and also to those with a BMI of more than 35 and at least two co-morbidities. Last week, an article in the NZ Herald caught my attention and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. The title of the article was: Leading causes of death by age in New Zealand. I know, it's a cheery number. Now, while the when and where of our deaths is largely unknown to many of us, the data explains how we're likely to die depending on how old we are. In our 20s, external injuries are the leading cause of death. These are classified as intentional - suicide, self-harm or assault - or unintentional, including falls, burns, vehicle crashes, dog bites and drownings. As we move into our 30s ‘all cancers' become the leading cause of death, but in our 40s a trend emergences that stays with us until our 80s and beyond. The ‘all cancer' group remains the leading cause of death but heart disease moves into second. As we age, suicide reduces, and the chance of dying from respiratory diseases, diabetes, or strokes also increases. Not hugely surprising, right? But when clearly defined by the data and in graphs, it's a little confronting. It's a simple way to look at how to prioritise health care, and as I found an effective motivator to encourage people to do what they can to beat the odds. So yes, let's fund Wegovy. Think of the impact it could have on our over-burdened health care system, and the country's productivity. This drug could be a game changer for young people and their mental health, for those unable to work due to weight related issues, and those who could potentially end up needed a heart transplant. But it's also worth starting slow. When it comes to criteria for funding the drug, we need to start with those most at risk, and who will benefit the most from it. With one in three New Zealand adults regarded as obese - being labelled obese shouldn't be enough to qualify. Like all drugs, there are side effects and risks and more research is needed to determine long term effects. But hey, when you're got a tool as powerful as this, we should be making the most of it in the most equitable manner possible. In the meantime, I shall be doing what I can to look after myself. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Associate Health Minister David Seymour welcomes Pharmac's proposal to change funding criteria for more type 2 diabetes medicines based on clinical need. Under the proposal, 25,000 more diabetic Kiwis will gain access to the treatments over the next few years. David Seymour says there's a lot of potential in investing in more GLP-1 medications to prevent other health problems impacting people down the line. "We've made a lot of progress on this kind of whole of society approach to funding medicines that will save us money in the long term, but that's some of the challenges we've run into so far." Pharmac has since confirmed the ethnicity criteria reference refers to the diabetes medicine consultation and they have separate recommendations for semaglutide funding applications. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Obesity related illnesses, as you well know, cost this country a fortune. The direct healthcare costs of obesity, well, they estimated it at $2 billion per year, per year, and that was in 2021, so it'll be a hell of a lot more now. It's more difficult to calculate the total economic impact that obesity has on this country. Estimates range between $4 to $9 billion per year. It depends whether you include lost productivity and how you quantify the loss of quality of life. If you are chair bound and you're in your 20's, how do you calculate the cost of that? Cardiovascular disease linked closely to obesity costs New Zealand a minimum of $13.8 billion. We're looking for hundreds of millions at the moment to try and balance the books with the Budget coming up – look at the billions being spent on healthcare costs. Type 2 diabetes, that costs an estimated $2.1 billion annually. Over two in three adults and nearly one third of children in New Zealand are overweight or obese, placing a severe strain on the health system. So it costs the country a lot. It would make a meaningful difference reducing the numbers of people who are obese and then see that obesity is triggering all kinds of health conditions. The cost in terms of New Zealanders not being able to live their lives, fulfil their potential, that too is staggering. So if there is a way to fix it, why wouldn't we fix it? If somebody said there's a pill for that, you'd take it. And indeed, turns out there is. Pharmac thinks we can and should solve the problem through medication. It has added the semaglutide drug to its list of medicines suitable for future funding. In a decision released yesterday, the drug funding agency confirmed it had added Wegovy, as you know it, to its list of options for investment. The options for investment includes all the medications Pharmac would fund if the budget allowed. It's currently unfunded, and if you want to buy it yourself, Wegovy costs someone about $400 a month. The order of Pharmac's list isn't made public for commercial reasons, as Radio New Zealand writes, but if chosen, the drug would be available to people with a BMI of more than 50 and also to those with a BMI of more than 35 with at least two comorbidities. There is a cure for obesity, but there will be a group of people, and you might be one of them as you're standing or sitting here listening to me, who don't want to fund obesity drugs despite the clear cost benefits, because you see fat as being a moral failing, and fat people as being inferior beings. You think it's simply a matter of willpower. There were no fat people during wars, food was scarce, and that's the end of that. Pull up your socks, go for a walk, say no, put down the fork, problem solved. Despite the fact that medical experts and psychiatrists say it is way more complicated than that. The ads we're running for weight loss drugs at the moment on this station give an indication of what it's like to see food as a reward and as an enemy. It's the voice chatter that Oprah Winfrey talked about when she went on Ozempic. She said the medication stopped the constant mental chatter about what to eat, what to resist, the constant negotiation about food, which was a feeling she'd experienced for 50 years. The okay, well, if I have an egg for breakfast, that's protein, that's good, but then there's the toast and that's carbs, should I try and put it on say a rice cracker? That doesn't feel very nice. Okay, I've been for a walk so I can reward myself with a piece of cake. Constant. And that's what the ads give an indication of, that's what Oprah Winfrey was talking about. She had an aha moment when she realised that overeating doesn't cause obesity, it's obesity that causes overeating. It is not a moral failing. And I know that when you exercise and when you restrict your food, you lose weight. I've done it before. I'll do it again. I'm in and out like an accordion – I can still hear the chatter sometimes, other times I let it go. But for some people, the chatter is so great that they simply don't have the option of going for a walk. Some people can't tie their own shoelaces. It's a psychological illness rather than a physical one. And that's what the experts say, that's not just me. And I know you feel smuggety smug smug smug smug when you're out there running in the early morning and having your chia and your sliced berries and that's your bag, or your marinated vegetables for breakfast, and you're feeling super fit. I used to feel smuggety smug smug smug too when I'd go for my early morning marathon training runs and you knew that people were lying in bed at 7:30 in the morning. Now I think, bloody who was the fool? But you go on feeling smug, you go on feeling smug and feeling superior, and in the meantime, there is a solution to a problem. It's a problem that affects a significant proportion of people. Some people can put down the fork, some people can reset their minds themselves. Great. Others need more assistance. As with many psychiatric illnesses, some people need to have their brain rebooted. And if we can do that and save ourselves billions, why would we not do that? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's Vanessa Weenink and Labour's Reuben Davidson joined John MacDonald for Politics Friday this week. They covered some of the biggest topics from the week from fast-track projects, Air New Zealand being deep in the red, and if Pharmac should fund weight loss drugs such as Wegovy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wayne Brown: NZ being run 'like a wrecking yard' Running on a strident anti-Wellington platform, Auckland mayor Wayne Brown was re-elected to a second term in 2025 by a more than 100,000-vote majority. In April of this year, he signed New Zealand's first-ever city deal with central government, an agreement which contains no new funding arrangements for Auckland, and kicks one of Brown's biggest campaigns - a bed tax - into discussions for 2027. He joins Jack Tame to discuss Auckland's City Deal, Auckland Transport, and his pitch for a grand coalition between National and Labour in 2026 - a path he describes as the only way to reverse the long-term decline of New Zealand. Behind the scenes of Auckland's $5.5 billion rail project When Auckland's City Rail Link opens for business in the second half of 2026, the city will boast New Zealand's longest escalator, three brand-new stations, and a whole suite of costly but essential improvements to existing infrastructure. The price tag sits at $5.5 billion, split between central government and Auckland Council - with the Super City's largest-ever rates increase, 7.9 percent, mooted to cover the ongoing costs. Is a longer life always better? Dr Ezekiel Emanuel is an oncologist and bioethicist in Washington DC and the author of 'Eat Your Ice Cream: Six simple rules for a long and healthy life'. In New Zealand for the NIB Health Innovation Summit, he joins Jack Tame to discuss how NZ stacks up internationally when it comes to health outcomes, what our Pharmac model gets right, and why he says he will refuse medical intervention after he turns 75. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

Pharmac is temporarily rationing capsules used to treat menopause symptoms, because of supply constraints affecting them and popular oestrogen patches. Pharmac's Director of Pharmaceuticals, Adrienne Martin spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Erica Stanford discusses new immigration bill; Pharmac rationing supplies of menopause medications; Calls for urgent rollout of safe cycling infrastructure; Cancer Society releases election manifesto; NZ Rugby boss discusses rising popularity of league in NZ

The government is opening 14 new infusion centres around the country, where patients can get chemotherapy and other therapies. It's also expanding 14 existing infusion centres. The Health Minister said a boost in Pharmac funding that same year is delivering 66 new medicines including 33 cancer treatments, increasing the need for infusions. Triple negative breast cancer survivor, Catherine Cooke, slammed the anouncement saying without medications like Keytruda, funded for early stage cancers, more infusion centres are not the solution and patients are being driven into debt to survive. Cooke spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Health Minister's announced 14 new cancer treatment infusion centres will be rolled out countrywide over the next two years. Services at a further 14 existing sites will also be expanded. Simeon Brown says the investment's supported by $210 million, announced in Budget 2024 to upgrade facilities on the back of a Pharmac funding boost. He told Mike Hosking they're expecting around 13,000 additional cancer transfusions – the exact number of patients will depend on the number of transfusions they need based on their treatment type. Brown says they're focusing on prevention, but when people are diagnosed, they need to make sure they receive treatments in a timely manner, closer to home. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The financial year is coming to an end. It means we’ll see a whole bunch of policies and adjustments from April 1. Everything from crayfish catch limits and Pharmac funding to changes to the Living and Minimum wages. Super annuitants, working families, students and beneficiaries are among those who will receive additional support. On the law-and-order front, the government’s crackdown on drug drivers is set to ramp up. And power bills are expected to increase, after the Commerce Commission agreed to let local lines companies, and Transport, charge households and businesses more a couple years ago. Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald business editor at large, Liam Dann, is with us to break down what changes are in the works, and what it might mean for you – and our economy. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Chelsea DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pharmac is closely watching for potential medicine supply risks arising from Iran war and patient advocate, Malcolm Mulholland says plans need to be made now to ensure continuity of supply.

More than four million New Zealanders are missing out on modern medicines languishing on what is effectively Pharmac's drug wish list, according to a new report commissioned by Medicines New Zealand; a group representing the pharmaceutical industry. It says 137 modern medicines that Pharmac would buy if it could afford to have spent an average of six and half years on the Options for Investment list. The report says 83% of those medicines are so called standard of care drugs in other countries; meaning they are the go to treatments. Medicines NZ CEO Graeme Jarvis spoke to Lisa Owen.

Shortages in some ADHD drugs are expected to last throughout 2026, with Pharmac saying supply remains unpredictable. 

Experts say a proposal for Pharmac to widen access to two medicines for advanced melanoma will improve outcomes. Oncologist Dr Gareth Rivalland spoke to Corin Dann.

This morning Nicola Willis and Tangi Utikere joined us for our weekly political panel. We also heard from a mother in rural Hawke's Bay who says proposed cuts to school bus services could have negative economic impacts on the region. A pharmacist spoke to us about another hacked medical database and what information may have been accessed, while Pharmac is widening access to two medications used to treat advanced melanoma. If you are considering a lifestyle change, Antarctica New Zealand has 40 jobs available on the ice, and we spoke to someone who knows what it is like to work on the continent.

The Health Minister won't say if the government has met its promise to blood cancer patients in New Zealand - that is that they have not been forgotten. Pharmac has proposed to fund two new combination medicines to treat a type of blood cancer - chronic lymphocytic leukaemia or CLL. The drugs can help those with CLL achieve longer lasting remission and avoid the need for traditional chemotherapy. Patients and advocates are celebrating, but Blood Cancer NZ and the Ministers acknowledge more work needs to be done. Lillian Hanly reports.

Pharmac is proposing funding two new leukaemia medications in pill form from May. It could relieve pressure for hospitals. It could also apply to people currently paying for it, who'd receive funding for the treatment in a private hospital - subject to meeting criteria. Associate Health Minister David Seymour says Pharmac will sign off on this - and it's likely this will move forward. "There'll be two new blood cancer medicines and they'll help an estimated 80-90 people every five years, with what is quite a rare, but brutal disorder." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A pediatric specialist is urging Aotearoa's drug agency to fund weight loss drugs for teenagers. A Pharmac advisory panel has provisionally recommended funding Wegovy for chronic weight management in people with high BMI's and associated conditions. Professor of paediatric endocrinology at the Liggins Institute, Wayne Cutfield spoke to Lisa Owen.

A Pharmac advisory panel has provisionally recommended funding weight loss drug Wegovy as a high priority for some people. Auckland University Professor of Global Health and Nutrition Boyd Swinburn spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss

With a Pharmac advisory panel provisionally recommending funding weight loss drug Wegovy, we spoke with Auckland University Professor of Global Health and Nutrition Boyd Swinburn. Plus, we asked Labour leader Chris Hipkins what he does and doesn't like about the proposed free trade agreement with India. The opposition is calling for more transparency over New Zealand's talks with the United States about the supply of rare and critical minerals, we spoke with Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. Lucy Naylor from the Auckland Primary Principals Association talked us through the changes to school reports, and major insurance company AA has confirmed it isn't offering new home insurance policies in Woodend; we spoke with Amanda Newson.

Families of young children with cystic fibrosis are celebrating a Pharmac proposal to widen access to the drug Trikafta, which is out for consultation. It's been funded for children over 6 since 2023, but the agency's now proposing extending it to under-sixes. Liam Rooney's child has cystic fibrosis and he says his family was looking for other ways to get it. "I'd already spoken to my boss over in Australia about the potential for us to move over if things got worse." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 22 January, 2026, we hear from a witness to the landslide at a Mt Maunganui campsite. A father tells us what Pharmac funding for a cystic fibrosis drug will mean for his son. Brad Olsen from Infometrics looks at whether the worst of the brain drain has passed. And on The Huddle, Clare de Lore and Mark Sainsbury have a laugh about Donald Trump confusing Greenland with Iceland. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, journalist Clare de Lore and broadcaster Mark Sainsbury joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day -and more! Families of young children with cystic fibrosis are celebrating a Pharmac proposal to widen access to the drug Trikafta, which is out for consultation. How good is this? Donald Trump has laid the groundwork or a future deal involving Greenland and dropped proposed tariffs on NATO countries. What do we make of this? Do we see Trump getting his way here? A new Taxpayers' Union-Curia poll dropped - and it indicates the current coalition Government could get re-elected. NZ First took a leap to 11.9 percent, what can we take from this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I was at the movies recently and the first three ads that came up in the shorts beforehand were pretty interesting. We had a fast food ad... I think it was KFC... some new chicken thing you can eat, then we had a Burger Fuel ad, and for dessert, to top things off, we had a Wegovy ad. There was a woman climbing stairs, out of breath, and a chubby guy struggling to get into a wetsuit. The message was simple: take this drug and get you life back. If you look at the fattest countries in the world, we're a podium finish. We're the third biggest developed country on earth. The Americans are, unsurprisingly, ahead of us. If you go to the movies, you see cause and affect in the space of three minutes of ads. Too much processed food + lack of exercise = obesity. Divided now by Wegovy, of course. Now the debate is - who should pay. I heard an argument yesterday which was interesting, because you hear about people putting all the weight back on once the drugs wear off. If the state pays for the drugs, the argument goes that you'd be less likely to keep the weight off because you're not as financially invested in the outcome as you would be if you paid out of your own pocket. Is it more effective if paid for by an individual? I don't know the answer to that question, but the problem we have in New Zealand - which they don't have so much in America, is a public health system - where the costs of being overweight, heart disease, diabetes etc. is worn by all of us. The indirect costs are between $7 billion and $9 billion per year. The cost of handing out free Wegovy could be as high as $3 billion a year. Pharmac's budget is $1.7 billion a year. So the question for Pharmac is simple - do the costs outweigh the benefits? And if you fund the drug, will people stay on it and actually keep the weight off? In the USA, RFK's just flipped the food pyramid and put protein at the top. There's an 'eat real food' campaign kicking off. Given the amount of fast food and Wegovy ads we're being bombarded with, would it not be sensible to also have some ads telling people about all the fresh NZ meat, dairy and veges they should be eating everyday? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pharmac is seeking clinical advice on whether the weight loss medication Wegovy should receive government funding. Professor of Paediatric Endocrinology at the University of Auckland, Wayne Cutfield spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

The government is working on stopping busloads of people stripping rockpools of sea life in north Auckland; Pharmac is seeking clinical advice on whether the weight loss medication Wegovy should receive government funding. Donald Trump is doubling down on his efforts to acquire Greenland, threatening to slap tariffs on European allies standing in his way. The Black Caps have won the final ODI against India to take the series 2-1. The Government is considering lowering its housing intensification targets in Auckland after pushback from critics.

Pharmac is seeking clinical advice on whether the weight loss medication Wegovy should receive government funding. Professor of Paediatric Endocrinology at the University of Auckland, Wayne Cutfield spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

From today, a group of patients with breast and lung cancer will be the first to be able to receive taxpayer-funded medicine in private clinics. Pharmac's manager in charge of pharmaceutical funding, Claire Pouwels spoke to Corin Dann.

Thousands of cases of amputation and vision loss could be prevented thanks to diabetes monitoring technology. Continuous Glucose Monitors, or CGMs, have been funded for Type 1 diabetes since last October. New data from CGM producer Dexcom finds lifetime use of the devices could prevent up to 70 thousand diabetes-related complications and save the country $50 thousand a day. Diabetes New Zealand Chief Executive Heather Verry told Mike Hosking funding should be expanded to all diabetes patients. She says Pharmac is only funding for Type 1, and at $200 a month, these devices are unaffordable for everyone else. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are calls for greater transparency about how Pharmac prioritises medicines on what is effectively a wait list for funding as it considers culling that list. If the proposal goes ahead the government drug buying agency will focus on cutting drugs that have been in the lowest ranked group on the options for funding list for more than two years. Publicly drugs on the funding wait list appear in alphabetical order; but where they are ranked in terms of priority for funding is kept secret. Leukemia and Blood Cancer chief executive Tim Edmonds spoke to Lisa Owen.

The parents of an Auckland toddler say they're living in hope their wee boy will soon have access to a "miracle" life-extending treatment for his cystic fibrosis. Pharmac currently funds the drug Trikafta for those six years and older - but it's now considering including two to five-year-olds. Lauren Crimp reports.

There are over 120 drugs currently being considered, a number of them are listed multiple times for different treatments. 

The Minister for medicines has revealed he is pushing for hundreds of millions of dollars of more funding for drugs in the next year's budget. Associate Health Minister, who is responsible for Pharmac, David Seymour believes medicines should be viewed as an investment and there needs to be a different approach assessing the cost benefits of drugs. It comes as a new report shows the medicine gap between Australia and New Zealand is getting wider and deeper. David Seymour spoke to Lisa Owen.

The country's drug buying agency, Pharmac, has a new leader. Natalie McMurtry spoke to Corin Dann.

In today's episode, more than 11,500 allied health workers have voted to strike for 24 hours as part of a mega strike later this month; Meridian Energy says the government's long-awaited energy reforms are bold, and provide clarity; The country's drug buying agency, Pharmac, has a new leader; Auckland Council is considering halving rubbish collections - cutting the service from weekly to fortnightly.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 2nd of October, the Government is teaming up with banks to try deliver more social housing – Minister Chris Bishop unpacks the scheme. Pharmac's new Chief Executive Natalie McMurtry speaks for the first time on how she plans to lead the entity. Beloved Kiwi chef Nadia Lim has been working on her new cookbook for about 5-6 years and is on to talk about it and the value of the farm. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Natalie McMurtry says Pharmac's model drew her to the agency's top job. She is just three weeks into her five-year-contract as chief executive at the drug-buying agency. The Canadian is tasked with continuing efforts to improve the agency's standing with the New Zealand public after years of degradation. McMurty told Mike Hosking she's happy to keep moving forward on the reset plan that's been put in place. She says she saw an opportunity to make an impact, and a board that has a great plan in place – one she could get behind. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pharmac is planning to fund a new brand of ADHD medication from the first of December.

Prior to the election, Christopher Luxon made a commitment to fund a list of hard tumour cancer medications. At the same time National repeatedly promised that blood cancer sufferers would not be forgotten. But two years on from that promise, many of them do feel forgotten. The drug Daratumumab, or Dara is on Pharmac's priority drug list. That's the list of drugs it would like to fund, but can't afford. Dara is virtually free in Australia, but costs hundreds of thousand of dollars here. That means some desperate blood cancer patients are funding it themselves; relying on the kindness of others and donation pages. Aucklander Geoff Dawson, has multiple Myeloma, and is on Dara, he spoke to Lisa Owen.