Dare to be Average is about getting people talking about New Zealand's medicines access, while being transparent, and presenting the facts and evidence.
We’re here to show the bigger picture: how medicines get funded, the gaps that leave New Zealand falling behind, and what average, or in our case, what below average really looks like compared to similar countries.
This isn’t about settling. It’s about aiming higher... or at least for the middle.
All the numbers, reports, and facts? You can find them all on ‘The Facts’ if you want to dig in.
When it comes to publicly funded medicines access, New Zealand doesn't need to be best in the world.
But bottom of the barrel shouldn't be something we're settling for.
Average access would be a huge step up, and a huge step forward for Kiwi patients.
To make sense of it all, we've centred everything around four truths, big picture realities about medicines access in New Zealand.
Dig in, explore and see for yourself why being 'average' would be a huge step forward for Kiwis.
When it comes to publicly funded prescription medicines access, New Zealand is near the bottom of the pack.
Not “a little behind.” Not “working our way up”.
We’re stuck near the bottom. This isn’t just a lag, it’s a standstill
Overall, New Zealand's total health spend sits around the OECD average. But when it comes to medicines, we're well below average.
We might be paying 'enough' for health, but is it being allocated where it counts?
As a share of our total health spend, New Zealand invests far less in medicines than almost every comparable country.
The catch? Not investing in medicines might not actually save money in the long run, it just shifts the bill somewhere else, like hospitals, GPs and families.
It takes much longer in New Zealand for new medicines to be publicly funded compared with our global peers.
These delays aren't just paperwork, they're realities for patients stuck waiting in limbo, or running out of options.
This website (and the Dare to be Average socials) are run by Medicines New Zealand.
Medicines New Zealand is the industry association representing innovative biopharmaceutical companies operating in New Zealand.
And yes, we know what you’re thinking: “Of course Pharma wants more medicines funded.” Fair. But this isn’t about selling anything.
Across the OECD, most comparable countries publicly fund far more medicines than we do.
Hitting “average” for access to publicly funded medicines would mean thousands more Kiwis getting the medicines they need. For New Zealand, being average would actually be a win.
This platform exists to get people talking about why we’re lagging behind.
Because if we don’t, nothing changes.
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This website is managed by Medicines New Zealand, the industry association representing innovative biopharmaceutical companies operating in New Zealand.
© Medicines New Zealand 2025