Rachel Smalley: 1,000 kiwis will die while Pharmac takes eight months to make a decision

OPINION: How long does it take you to make a decision about whether or not to buy something?

You’ve got all the information in front of you. You know it’s a good product. It works. You need it. And you’ve got the money to buy it. So how long will it take?

What if I said that every week that passes where you don’t make a decision, 26 New Zealanders will die? What then? Do you think you could focus or add some urgency to that decision?

I’m pretty sure you could.

Why is it, then, that the same level of urgency doesn’t apply to Government – and in particular, to Pharmac, our drug-buying agency?