The pharmacy of unavailable drugs

Prime waterfront space in Auckland has hosted a walk-in installation emphasising the experience of patients whose medicines aren't government subsidised, as patient groups ratchet up pressure on the New Zealand Government to increase Pharmac's funding.

Seventeen patient advocacy groups banded together for the project, the Forbidden Pharmacy, in popular event site, Shed 10. The groups included Rare Disorders New Zealand, Migraine Foundation, Epilepsy New Zealand, The Cardiac and Respiratory Foundation NZ, and 13 groups advocating for cancer patients.

"The installation at Shed 10 on Saturday turned a funding argument into something you could walk up to and stand in front of, accompanied by the stories of Kiwis struggling to get access to the medicines they need. That is the whole point. A spreadsheet simply can't humanise this," HAE Australasia Board of Directors Chair, Olivia Worthington, said.