6. Question No. 6—HealthDr TRACEY McLELLAN (Labour—Banks Peninsula) to the Minister of HealthQuestion No. 6—Health6. Dr TRACEY McLELLAN (Labour—Banks Peninsula) to the Minister of Health: What recent announcements has Pharmac advised him of in relation to funding more medicines for New Zealanders?Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Health): I'm pleased to say that further to Pharmac's announcement last Sunday—and indeed the Deputy Prime Minister's answer to a question earlier today—Pharmac is commencing consultation over the funding of Trikafta. Pharmac has today confirmed that following the consultation it would be funding other important medicines. Firstly Spinraza will be fully funded for New Zealanders under the age of 18. Spinraza is the first medicine to be publicly funded for the rare disorder spinal muscular atrophy. Secondly access will be widened for babies and young people to receive the meningococcal B vaccine for free. Thirdly a new chemotherapy treatment will be funded too; this will benefit hundreds of cancer patients. [Sits and stands] Sorry I haven't finished yet.SPEAKER: Well you have actually. When you sit down you've finished. Hon Carmel Sepuloni: He didn't quite get down.SPEAKER: No he's—you can ask another supplementary if you want.Dr Tracey McLellan: What will the announcement on Spinraza mean for those suffering from spinal muscular atrophy?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: The funding of Spinraza will help those who suffer from spinal muscular atrophy and help improve their quality of life. Spinal muscular atrophy is a rare genetic disorder which affects babies through to adults and can cause disability and even early death. Treating young people with this rare disorder will enable some parents and caregivers of those affected by spinal muscular atrophy to remain employed and not have to provide around-the-clock care.Dr Tracey McLellan: What will today's announcement mean for those undergoing cancer treatment?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: From 1 May next year people with various cancers will have access to oral vinorelbine a type of chemotherapy treatment. It's used to treat lung cancer and breast cancer as well as some non-cancerous growths. This will allow people to receive treatment from their community pharmacy and take their treatment in their own home rather than having to travel to a hospital for intravenous chemotherapy. Making vinorelbine available as an oral treatment will be a real benefit to rural people in particular who often find it difficult to get to places where intravenous treatments are offered.Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Why did Pharmac grant an exclusive to Patrick Gower from Newshub before informing cystic fibrosis patients and when it was a public health announcement?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: The way as Minister that my relationship with Pharmac works is that I have no control over the decisions they take nor of the timing or manner of their announcements. They made those decisions; I have provided feedback to Pharmac about some aspects of their messaging of their announcements in relation to Trikafta.Dr Tracey McLellan: How will this announcement help safeguard young people's health?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: The confirmation of widened access to the meningococcal B vaccine would be beneficial for more young people including infants. From 1 March next year all babies up to 12 months of age will receive this vaccine for free. Young people aged 13 to 25 in close living situations such as hostels will also receive the vaccine for free. Meningococcal disease has had an inequitable impact on Māori and Pacific children in particular. This widening of the eligibility has the potential to eliminate ethnic inequalities in meningococcal disease in New Zealand. Widening access to this vaccine will help save Māori and Pacific lives.Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Is part of the increase of Pharmac's budget by 43 percent the transfer of the hospitals medicine budget of over $160 million?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: Pharmac has been responsible for the hospitals medicines budget for some time; it's the combined pharmaceutical budget. It's that budget whether it was held collectively by the district health boards or by Pharmac—the increase is on that aggregate amount.