- Pharmac confirms Keytruda and Opvido will be funded later this year
- Cancer Society says the health system is not ready to deliver the new drugs, despite promised funding for Health NZ
- Health Minister confident system will be ready, recruitment underway
Keytruda will be available for patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer, head and neck cancer, colorectal cancer, bladder cancer, and Hodgkin lymphoma. File photo. Photo: Supplied
The Cancer Society says there is still no sign the health system is ready to administer new cancer drugs, after Pharmac confirmed its first cancer medication funding decisions since its budget boost.
That is despite additional funding for Health New Zealand to prepare the health system for the rollout.
From 1 October, Pharmac has announced Pembrolizumab (brand name Keytruda) will be available for eligible patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer, head and neck cancer, colorectal cancer, bladder cancer, and Hodgkin lymphoma.
Nivolumab (branded as Opvido) will be free from 1 November for eligible people with kidney cancer.
Pharmac expected 1000 additional people would be able to access the treatments in the first year of funding, increasing to 4500 over five years.
While the Cancer Society welcomed the drugs' availability, it was concerned the health system was not set up to deliver them.
Co-medical director Dr Kate Gregory said the sector was already under pressure.
"It's the whole way through the patient journey. It's pathologists to look at the biopsy results, do the extra molecular testing that's needed. It's the radiologists to report the scans. It's nurses to deliver drugs. It's pharmacists to make sure the drugs are made up safely and appropriately. So it's a whole workforce issue and it's getting increasingly difficult."
Gregory said clinic space was also an issue.
"Physically, fitting patients into clinics for these extra treatments is a challenge. It's difficult as it is to fit everybody in who needs their treatments to make sure they're getting them on time, and that the chemotherapy clinics are appropriately staffed."
In July, shortly after the government's announcement it would give Pharmac an additional $604 million to fund up to 52 new medicines, the Cancer Society expressed similar concerns around investment in health infrastructure.
In response, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti said Health NZ was allocated $38m for the 2024/25 financial year to support them to deliver the additional treatments.
Gregory, who is also an oncologist in Nelson Marlborough, said there had been nothing to show the money was translating into anything material, particularly in workforce.
"It's not anything I've personally witnessed as a clinician working on the ground in the hospital clinic," she said.
Responding to the Cancer Society's latest concerns, Reti told RNZ he was confident the system was preparing well, and he was meeting regularly with key agencies specifically on their planning.
"As a key driver, the Increasing Access to Medicines Programme will make sure that the newly funded cancer treatments, and the cancer care that people are currently receiving in the public health system, are both successfully delivered in a well-functioning, equitable and responsive cancer service," he said.
Reti said the funding for the first release of cancer medicines had already been transferred to the regions to cover recruitment of additional clinical staff, based on estimated resource modelling.
"It includes medical oncologists, nurses and pharmacists, and additional laboratory and radiology resources. Recruitment for these roles has commenced, and regional services are being supported to prepare for delivery of the first medicines.
"We must acknowledge that there are existing pressures on the health system. The Cancer Control Agency and Health New Zealand will monitor the delivery of new medicines to ensure capacity is managed."
