The Medical and Pharmaceutical Aspects of New Zealand's Social Security System: a Survey of their Development and Present Status and Some Discussion of Possible Improvements

Abstract

It is an acknowledged fact in New Zealand that any suggestion of the abolition of Social Security would be received by an overwhelming and emphatic protest from all elements of the population. Whatever one may think of the service, the principle is established and seems to be disputed seriously by no one. Politically, the Social Security set-up was a major issue in two elections (1938 and 1943), and in each case the Labor Party was returned with an absolute majority. By 1946, the National Party, after years of criticism of the scheme, had reversed its policy and declared that if elected, it would not only continue the scheme, but also add a few benefits. In view, then, of the general desirability and acceptability of the Social Security scheme, I shall adopt a pragmatic approach by not seeking to discuss the merits of Social Security and its sociological implications, but rather, since the system is destined to be continued, I propose to investigate the deficiencies and abuses of the present scheme with a remedial eye turned towards ameliorating the flaws and improving on what has already been done. Considering the very extensive field of Social Security as compared to my limited resources of time and facilities, I am restricting the scope of this study primarily to the Medical and Pharmaceutical aspects of the scheme. This study does not purport to reveal any sensational findings or panacean solutions, but rather, seeks only to synthesize existing information and thought on the subject, present my opinions and commentaries in non-categorical form, and leave the reader to draw his own conclusions as to the sufficiency and practicability of different remedial propositions. Although this study of the Health services is a forward-looking one, extensive reference to the past and present has been necessary - firstly, in order to establish a sense of direction and basis upon which to build, and secondly, in order to brief those readers who are unfamiliar with the background and milieu of the New Zealand Social Security set-up.