Medicines New Zealand: Comparable Countries

Other countries gain public access to modern medicines* more efficiently due to their processes, funding models and investment levels.

United Kingdom	National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)	• 84.3% of modern medicines registered in the UK are publicly funded.¹ • It takes on average 128 days for a modern medicine to be publicly funded after registration.¹ • The UK ranked 2nd out of 20 OECD countries for the number of publicly funded modern medicines registered and launched between 2011 and 2020 (251 medicines).²
Australia	Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)	• It takes on average 556 days to publicly fund exactly the same modern medicines as New Zealand (1050 days).³ • Between January 2011 & June 2025 Australia publicly funded 2.5x more modern medicines than New Zealand. (215 vs. 86)³
New Zealand	(PHARMAC) Pharmaceutical Management Agency	• New Zealand ranked last out of 20 OECD countries for the number of publicly funded modern medicines registered and launched between 2011 and 2020 (34 medicines).² • Less than 30% of the modern medicines registered in 20 comparable OECD countries between 2011 and 2020 were registered in New Zealand – 131 out of 441 medicines – and only 26% of the medicines which were registered in New Zealand were then publicly funded.²

United Kingdom

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)

• 84.3% of modern medicines registered in the UK are publicly funded.¹

• It takes on average 128 days for a modern medicine to be publicly funded after registration.¹

• The UK ranked 2nd out of 20 OECD countries for the number of publicly funded modern medicines registered and launched between 2011 and 2020 (251 medicines).²

Australia

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)

• It takes on average 556 days to publicly fund exactly the same modern medicines as New Zealand (1050 days).³

• Between January 2011 & June 2025 Australia publicly funded 2.5x more modern medicines than New Zealand. (215 vs. 86)³

New Zealand

(PHARMAC) Pharmaceutical Management Agency

• New Zealand ranked last out of 20 OECD countries for the number of publicly funded modern medicines registered and launched between 2011 and 2020 (34 medicines).²

• Less than 30% of the modern medicines registered in 20 comparable OECD countries between 2011 and 2020 were registered in New Zealand – 131 out of 441 medicines – and only 26% of the medicines which were registered in New Zealand were then publicly funded.²

*A modern medicines or a "new molecular entity" (NME) is defined as an innovative pharmaceutical medicine (including biologic medicines) that contains a new molecule that has not been previously approved in these countries before.

Sources:
1. Medicines Australia (2018). Comparison of Access and Reimbursement Environments (COMPARE 4). Available here.
2. IQVIA (November 2021). A Decade of Modern Medicines: An International Comparison 2011-2020. Available here.
3. IQVIA (2025). Access to Medicines (AtoM 5). Available here.

How does New Zealand compare to Other OECD countries?

^{Source: PhRMA. (2023)}^{Global Access to New Medicines Report}^{Image: Medicines New Zealand. (2025).}^{New Zealand's Medicines Landscape 2024/25}

^{Source: Medicines New Zealand (2026).}^{New Zealand's Medicines Landscape 2025/26}