The Greens welcome today's long-coming announcement by Pharmac of consultation to remove the special authority renewal criteria for methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and modafinil and to fund lisdexamfetamine.
"Today will be celebrated by hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders living with ADHD," says Green Party Co-leader and Mental Health spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick.
"Finally, we have achieved concrete steps for more accessible and affordable treatment.
"This announcement has been years in the making, and is only happening because of the mahi of many behind the scenes, especially ADHD NZ. Darrin and Suzanne have been tireless champions.
"It has been a personal and political honour to work alongside our neurodivergent community and our advocates, across the House and Governments of different stripes, to secure the most significant steps forward in decades for those living with ADHD.
"I want to acknowledge the GPs, psychiatrists, paediatricians, psychologists, nurse practitioners, officials and of course those with lived experience who joined our two Parliamentary hui over recent years to push this kaupapa forward.
"The Special Authority process currently requires someone with ADHD to go back to a psychiatrist every two years to confirm they still have ADHD. This has been clearly identified time and again as a major cost and barrier to accessing treatment. Ultimately, many go without, and the real cost of that in people's lives, whānau, workplaces and negative social statistics can be unbearable - but it is preventable.
"New Zealanders with ADHD have also long been denied treatments funded in comparable jurisdictions like Australia. Today's consultation on funding for lisdexamfetamine presents a hopeful opportunity for a medication understood to be less open to abuse, and therefore greater, sensible access to appropriate treatment.
"Everyone should be enabled to live their best lives and be their best selves. Today is a step towards turning this ambition into a reality for more New Zealanders with ADHD.
"Everyone who helped fight for this should be proud, and must remember to submit on the consultation! The mahi, unfortunately, doesn't stop here," says Chlöe Swarbrick.
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