New Zealand pharmaceutical management: analysis and prescription

Abstract

Public expenditure on pharmaceuticals in New Zealand has increased significantly in recent decades. Controlling the growth of pharmaceutical spending has been an important priority for health care policy makers, and both supply and demand side management initiatives have been implemented. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse and evaluate these New Zealand policy initiatives, based on a comparison of the New Zealand experience with that of other countries. Policy initiatives in a range of developed countries are evaluated with respect to the key criteria of equity and efficiency. Based on these international comparisons, potential modifications to New Zealand pharmaceutical policy are considered. Specifically, the thesis argues that New Zealand pharmaceutical policy can be improved through greater alignment of economic incentives, modified risk allocation, and integrated funding.