PHARMAC and lack of funding for clopidogrel.

: Clopidogrel is an antiplatelet drug that has been shown in several trials to reduce clinical events such as cardiovascular death, stroke, and myocardial infarction when compared to aspirin in a broad range of patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease. Clopidogrel has also been shown to reduce the same events by 20% when added to aspirin in patients with unstable angina and also in patients undergoing coronary artery stenting. Despite this information being available for 5 to 10 years, guideline recommendations, and the knowledge that 5% of patients have major allergy to aspirin, New Zealand patients have only been able to receive funded clopidogrel for a short period, typically 3 weeks, after coronary artery stenting. We believe this is an example where New Zealanders have been denied treatments, despite a strong evidence-base, by PHARMAC's actions of delaying the funding of new drugs. We need to have a better process whereby New Zealanders can rapidly access new treatments.