Updated March 2008

This Mission Statement was adopted by the ATM coalition in September 2005. The publication in December 2007 of the government's medicine strategy Medicines New Zealand, acompanied by its plan Actioning Medicines New Zealand, was a major milestone in health policy for New Zealand as these documents incorporated so many of the principles sought by ATM in our submission on the development of the strategy.

Mission Statement:

• To improve access to prescription medicines in New Zealand by increasing the efficiency of approval and distribution processes.
• Ensure all New Zealanders have parity with regard to access to pharmaceutical treatments available in other OECD countries;
• That health outcomes are maximised by efficient and coordinated use of all health sector services;
• Make sure that health practitioners are provided with adequate and appropriate resources and supported by an infrastructure that encourages best practice;
• Reduce the time and cost that has become inherent in listing new medications on the pharmaceutical schedule;
• Increase the number of new medicines listed on the pharmaceutical schedule so that there is parity with the numbers of medicines that other OECD countries make available to their populations;
• Develop a new focus on pharmaceuticals in New Zealand to include the consideration of new strategies. For example, adopting orphan drug* rules and creating a National Medicines Policy for New Zealand.

*Special criteria for medicines for rare diseases where standard funding formulae are inappropriate.

Continued work will be needed to ensure the many action points in the medicine strategy are implemented as intended and consistent with important principles and objectives set out in the strategy document. ATM will publish more information as the implementation phase progresses.