How does the operation of PHARMAC's 'Community Exceptional ...

important decision making criterion. In doing so PHARMAC’s operation of the
community Exceptional Circumstances policy has not closely aligned with Rawls’
and Sen’s principles of distributive justice such as openness, equality and
fairness to all.
Postscripts
During the reading of the 2011 Government Budget the Minister of Finance, Hon.
Bill English announced the government’s intention to stop funding certain
pharmaceuticals and alternative health treatments. These are currently being
supplied under a Disability Allowance provided by the Work and Income section
of the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). In 2009–2010 there were 24,000
people who accessed MSD subsidies for alternative health treatments such as
acupuncture, homeopathy, osteopathy, vitamins and gym memberships (English,
2011).
The Minister stated that this situation undermines the status of PHARMAC and
effectively has both PHARMAC and MSD subsidising pharmaceuticals.
Interviewee ‘C’ referred to this practice in his/her interview. The government is
preparing new subsidy rules to manage the payment of Disability Benefits for
pharmaceuticals and alternative health treatments which can be paid out by
MSD. In future, they must be approved by PHARMAC before the funding can be
provided. It is suggested that PHARMAC will carry out a cost-benefit analysis
and examine the clinical evidence before the subsidy is approved.
The implementation of this policy puts PHARMACs advisory panels, particularly
PTAC, in a position to approve or deny payments of public health subsidies for
alternative health treatments. The PTAC members are all leaders and
academics connected to traditional medical professions. Taken as a general
rule, these professions have not enthusiastically embraced such alternative
health treatments. Patients tend not to tell doctors about their use of alternative
treatments (Ernts E., 2006) for fear of a negative reaction. This is largely
because such medicines are not subjected to rigorous clinical trials and do not
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