Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. Photo / FIle
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. Photo / FIle
An amendment to New Zealand drug regulations means those with ADHD may be able to receive up to a three-month supply of medicine at a time, but funding the change is still in the works.
Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick told the Herald they managed to amend the “Frankenstein Misuse of Drugs Act regulations” in November to allow for longer electronic prescriptions for certain ADHD medications.
“The problem was, this amendment got caught by the Pharmac Schedule which limits the amount of funding for a controlled medicine to just one month’s supply per prescription. In practice, that meant that while people could get longer prescriptions, they could only have the first month subsidised.
“Many found that with the extra approximate $100 for the three-month prescription, they weren’t actually that much better off.”
Swarbrick said increasing accessibility and affordability of ADHD treatment, including medication, was one of the key commitments of the hui she worked with ADHD NZ to pull together and host in Parliament in August last year.
“This is something we’ve been working on for a number of months now and I’m stoked to see it’s finally happening, despite a few fishhooks in our archaic legislation governing this area.”
She told the Herald there was a deep, sad irony in the way those with ADHD have to go through a “mental gymnasium” completely at odds with their brains “in order to access the very treatment which helps them to do precisely those kinds of tasks”.
MP Chloe Swarbrick. Photo / Tim Onnes
In a statement Pharmac director of operations Lisa Williams said the Ministry of Health asked Pharmac not to make changes to its Pharmaceutical Schedule rules while it works though its process to re-look at the regulations.
“This means that, for funded medicines that are Class B controlled drugs, only dispensing quantities set out in the current Schedule Rules will be funded.
“Once the Ministry has made decisions on the regulations following its consultation process, we will work with them to consider whether changes need to be made to the Schedule Rules.”
A spokesperson for Manatū Hauora – Ministry of Health, said following the amendments, some clinicians raised concerns about the potential impact on opioid prescribing, many of which are Class B controlled drugs.
“Manatū Hauora decided to conduct a review of the existing controls, including regulation, to ensure they are appropriate to enable safe access to opioid medicines.”
To assist with this review, they said a cross-agency group was established including representatives from Manatū Hauora, Te Aka Whai Ora, Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand, Pharmac and the Health Quality and Safety Commission.
“The review, targeted for completion in April, has already identified some priority areas for improving safe access to opioids. This includes further amendments to the regulations, but also some longer term system improvements which could help us better manage controlled drug prescribing into the future. Manatū Hauora has begun to engage more widely on some potential options.”
In an email to Swarbrick last month, Health Minister Ayesha Verrall said the regulation change was made to reduce the number of times people with ADHD must contact a prescriber to request a repeat prescription or make an appointment.
“The change was proposed by specialist mental health service providers recognising that requiring frequent prescriptions can be burdensome to people with ADHD and to health practitioner workloads.”
