Pharmac takes softer line on cholesterol pills

By MARTIN JOHNSTON health reporter

Thousands of people will have to pay part-charges for the strongest cholesterol-lowering pills or use weaker ones under a state cost-cutting plan, says a leading doctor.

The Government drug-funding agency Pharmac is working on plans to cut $18 million to $30 million from the state's drug bill over five years by reducing subsidies on so-called statin pills.

About 42,000 people take the most potent statin, Lipitor, and 135,000 take Lipex, the second strongest.

Under a Pharmac plan last month, 39,000 Lipitor patients faced part-charges or a switch to Lipex or a related drug in June. Only the 3000 on the highest Lipitor dose would have stayed on the drug fully subsidised.

The agency is now considering softening its plan, after pressure from the Heart Foundation, the Cardiac Society and two Auckland University cardiologists, Dr Chris Ellis and Professor Harvey White.

An extra 10,000 patients would be eligible to retain the full subsidy on Lipitor under the latest proposals.

But Dr Ellis said that even under the latest plan, thousands of new patients who needed Lipitor would miss out or have to pay a part-charge.

If they took the weaker drug, many would be at increased risk of suffering a heart attack, a stroke, needing hospital treatment or dying prematurely.

"It will be survival of the richest. Those who can afford to can pay; those who can't afford to can't."

Pharmac medical director Dr Peter Moodie said Dr Ellis' calculations were misleading.

The types of patients Dr Ellis expected to be excluded from a full Lipitor subsidy were already excluded under present rules based on failing to get down to a set cholesterol level.

Dr Moodie questioned the cardiologists' links to Lipitor's supplier, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.

Public relations firm Consultus said Pfizer had paid for its help in producing a press statement for the cardiologists.

Dr Ellis defended his and Professor White's independence from Pfizer. He said he resented the false slur Pharmac was casting.

He and his colleague were acting out of concern for patients.