Iain, Maryan and Clare have all written on the problems with the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, in particular the threat posed by a push by the US pharamaceutical industry to Pharmac, New Zealand’s drug buying agency. Lobbyists are on the case on behalf of the US companies, as they attempt to make changes through the negotiations.
There is a good piece on-line today that highlights the growing campaign, and the opposition to it.
Essentially, Pharmac is the government’s drug buyer, and has control over what subsidised drugs are available to New Zealanders. While there might be criticisms of individual decisions by Pharmac (think Herceptin), there is no doubt they have saved New Zealand millions of dollars through being able to bid down prices and obtain generic drugs.
Gareth Morgan and Geoff Simmons are quoted in the article above. In their work on the health sector have become big fans of the Pharmac model. They support the model not only because it has kept costs down, but also because the stringent approach from Pharmac has meant that tried and true drugs are approved rather than experimental ones that have had to be withdrawn from other markets.
Its good to see support for Pharmac from the government in the article above, though it does not completely re-assure me in terms of the TPPA negotiations. We need a definitive statement from the government that playing around with Pharmac’s mandate is off the table in the negotiations.
I have long been a supporter of quality free-trade agreements where New Zealand exporters can get demonstrable benefits, and where we can continue to manage our economy and society as we see fit. However, in addition to the concerns about the transparency of the TPPA (which are important), I am struggling with what New Zealand can get from this agreement. The chances of a decent advance on agricultural access are highly unlikely. More to the point we have very little left to negotiate with. The “lay down misere” approach that New Zealand took to trade negotiations in the 1990s has left us with almost no cards to play in these discussions. As the TPPA negotiations continue it gets harder to see what we will get from it, and easier to see how our economic sovereignty could be compromised.
I’m uneasy about the TPPA
Can I just say that medication I have been on since 2002 has been changed three times, well not the med but the manufacturer Pharmac buys it from. Each time it changed the dose had to be increased to achieve the same effect. So even though it appears a medication is identical but cheaper when made by someone else they clearly are not identical.
I now am supposed to take 3 x as much as I did on the first manufacturer. Am wondering how this saved money for Pharmac/NZ? By 3 x, I mean the original tablet x 3, cos the dose in each tablet wasnt increased, so I buy more, more often.
Poor Tracey
Sounds a bit odd Tracey. Usually the change is for the same concentration but different supplier. Perhaps your doctor can confirm your concerns or perhaps your dosage has been upped? Not nice anyway to be on long term medicines. Cheers.
From another recent article mentioning Mark Saunders:
“John Key’s chief of staff is partying with powerful NZ lobbyists in Las Vegas.
John Key’s right-hand man is living it up with big-spending lobbyists in the casinos of Las Vegas, sparking questions about their influence on Government policy.
The Prime Minister’s chief of staff, Wayne Eagleson, has spent the past week enjoying a shootin’, smokin’ and boozin’ trip to “Sin City”. He has been travelling with NZ Post chief executive Brian Roche, and lobbyists Mark Unsworth and Roger Sowry – a former National Party deputy leader who remains a member of John Key and Bill English’s inner circle.
The four have dropped “a ton” on blackjack, visited a gun shop where they could shoot an AK47 and dined at a restaurant on The Strip where 50g of caviar costs $500. ”
As they say, read the whole thing:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/gambling/news/article.cfm?c_id=215&objectid=10650068
Danyl. Who paid for that junket? It was June 2010 but shouldn’t Government spending be transparent?
Maybe a conflict of interest or perhaps “undue influence.”
ianmac, the medicine is for the same dosage, that’s my point.
They changed to supposedly the same thing but from a sifferent maker… unfortunately the same dose from the new and cheaper supplier didn’t achieve the same outcome, so they upped the dose to, after the second manufacturer/supplier change to 3 x…
so, i go through 3 x as many… just strikes me as odd that if all are like me, then how was this a saving from the original tablet they issued.
It’s madness I say, madness.
BUT Danyl, the MOST important thing is a rugby payer assaulted someone, please do get your priorities right!
Hi Tracey.Am happy to answer a sensible question and will be as balanced as possible.When a drug comes off patent or a company does a special deal with PHARMAC ( to have a new drug listed) then the funding for the original drug is stopped.This saves money-no argument.It does mean ,in some cases , that patients have to move to the new cheaper drug which may be a lower dose or has a few more side effects or is just more difficult to take.If its a perfect match generic and has been fully tested it should be nearly identical to the original drug.If it was part of a deal with another company then it may be that you were once on the toyota and now you have the Lada.Cant be sure of course and it only happens sometimes but thats the truth .
While Pharmac is an obvious target for US drug companies to nobble, the hijacking of TPP by US is much more sinister than that.
NOTE all negotiation will be in secret and you won’t know the final agreed conditions passed by cabinet [ not parliament ] until at least four years after that foul move has been implemented.
http://tppwatch.org/what-is-tppa/
Democracy is close to death as we will be governed by court actions overseas. It will become an entrenched system and TINA will be alive and well as US take over more of NZ. Our ability to pass laws will be severely restricted and we will loose, the environment will loose, our economy will be manipulated and sovereignty over a multitude aspects in NZ incapacitated.
If we could only grow bananas.
The TPPA negotiated in secrecy from the NZ public, just reeks with corporate control of sovereign nations.
We are not the only ones worried.
http://occupywallst.org/article/july-2-10-san-diego-stop-trans-pacific-partnership/#comments
This TPPA fiasco is one of many toxic issues facing NZ while in the hands of Nact / banker cartel.
The ruthless disregard for NZ is shown by Key’s ignorant actions regarding impending climate disaster.
For key and his masters it is all about plunder and the stock market.