Patients in urgent need of unfunded drugs may soon be given their medication under a new Pharmac scheme.
Next week, Pharmac's Named Patient Pharmaceutical Assessment (NPPA) will replace the current Exceptional Circumstances scheme, which catered only for patients with rare disorders.
NPPA will enable any patient to apply for unfunded drugs, instead of waiting for the drug to be added to the official Pharmaceutical Schedule.
Cancer patients are among those likely to benefit from the change, said Cancer Society national health promotion adviser Sarah Penno.
"Most oncology drugs are quite expensive, so Pharmac negotiates those with drug companies, but some medications fall outside Pharmac, especially those of high cost or for a small number of patients," she said.