Chadwick Steve: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Chadwick Steve: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:611;Page:8315] 
1. STEVE CHADWICK (NZ Labour—Rotorua) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: What has been the reaction to changes to dispensing of pharmaceuticals? 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Health) 
: 
 The reaction has varied from consumers who are delighted by the changes to pharmacists who are concerned about the loss of income and to Opposition spokespeople on health like Lynda Scott who said on 1 July this year that 2000 jobs would be lost if the proposal went ahead. 
Steve Chadwick 
: Has she received any subsequent advice on changed attitudes towards the dispensing of pharmaceuticals? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Yes. I have received a copy of a letter from Lynda Scott to Pharmac dated 29 July this year stating: “I think it is a sensible decision based on good clinical advice. The modification of your original proposal has gone down well and shows the modified results must have been approved by a large percentage of the population.” I was delighted by the support from the National Party. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: What does she have to say to the 90 pharmacy fourth-year students who are dejected and distressed because they cannot now get an intern placement to complete their pharmacy training because under this Government’s stat dispensing proposal pharmacists say it costs them more to dispense medicines for the Government than they receive so they can no longer take on an intern? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Considerable work has been done with the Pharmaceutical Society to find placements for interns. However the issue is not just about a change to stat dispensing which that member wrote to Pharmac and supported it is also about the fact that for the first time we have two schools graduating pharmacists this year going from 100 to 170 so it does mean that a lot more work has had to go into finding placements. I met the Pharmaceutical Society this week and I am very pleased with the progress that has been made. 
Pita Paraone 
: Is the Minister aware of any pharmacists particularly in the rural areas who are now struggling to meet salary and other costs to remain in business because of the drop in income as a consequence of the new dispensing regime? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: No because stat dispensing does not commence until 1 October so they are continuing to receive the same income. However the member will be interested to know that district health boards are working with pharmacists to ensure that we retain rural access and the money they receive from the saving from stat dispensing will go back into providing pharmaceutical services. 
Sue Kedgley 
: What will happen to the many pharmacy interns who are having great difficulty finding a placement because pharmacies are saying they cannot afford to place interns after the introduction of bulk dispensing and given that a placement is a requirement for completing their degree? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I answered that question to Lynda Scott in that a considerable amount of work has been done with the Pharmaceutical Society including looking at other places to place pharmacists from district health boards into Medsafe and Pharmac itself; and I am pleased with the progress that has been made. 
Heather Roy 
: Can she guarantee that she stands by her repeated assurances that the cost of prescription medicines to the poorest patients in the country all of those enrolled in Access primary health-care organisations will still drop from $15 to $3 on 1 October this year; if not why not? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: In the near future I will take to Cabinet a package of measures that includes the co-payment area and looks at reducing the cost to those over 65 years of age. It will mean a much better provision for many more New Zealanders and I will announce a decision on that in the near future. 
David Benson-Pope 
: In light of the positive responses following modification of the original proposal—responses like Lynda Scott’s—has the Minister received any further reports of changed attitudes towards the dispensing of pharmaceuticals? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Yes I do happen to have another report dated 28 August from Lynda Scott who said that pharmacists are reeling under what has happened to them due to Pharmac. I am now dismayed at the change in the National Party’s approach to stat dispensing. I suggest that the House tunes in next month for the next episode in shifting National Party policy. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: I seek leave to table the Pharmaceutical Society magazine that states the society has grave concerns about the ability for community pharmacists to offer intern placements because of stat dispensing. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that. Is there any objection? There is objection. I want to say that the answer to the last question went too far. I think the Minister should restrain herself in future. 
Pita Paraone 
: How will the reported savings from the new dispensing regime be spent? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: The estimated saving of $132 million over a full year will go back to the district health boards. It can be spent on pharmaceutical services paying for what pharmacists actually do rather than paying them because of the amounts they dispense. That money can also go into projects relates to diabetes primary health-care and a range of other activities that the district health boards wish to spend it on. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Does she believe that her inept handling of the pharmaceutical issue is the reason that in the latest publication of the medical magazine 8 percent of general practitioners voted for her as the preferred health Minister compared with 43 percent for National’s Dr Lynda Scott and is that the reason that 83 percent of general practitioners surveyed rate Labour’s performance as poor? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: No I do not think that is the reason. After all we are talking about pharmacists and not general practitioners. However I am aware that 86 pharmacists were surveyed for that poll which is probably what the National Party would like to happen when opinion polls are done of those who support it. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Why would anyone have confidence in her word that $132 million will go back to the industry as a result of the changes in respect of Pharmac when the last two changes that brought significant cuts to the cost did not go back to the industry and in fact led to people in this country getting second-class drugs in a claimed First World health system? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I cannot answer the member’s question because I was not responsible for the last two changes to stat dispensing. Stat dispensing was removed in 1996 under the previous National Government when it brought in monthly dispensing. It did not happen under this Government. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Not true. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: That is absolutely true. If the member wants the information I can give it to him. In fact I am sure that Lynda Scott will confirm that stat dispensing was removed in 1996 by a National Government. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: I seek leave to table a copy—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: This is the warning today. There will be no comments during points of order and no comments during the asking of questions. The next person will leave and that is a promise. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: I seek leave to table the poll from  
Doctor 
 magazine headed “Great Scott Lynda ahead”. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that. Is there any objection? There is.