Anti-VEGF treatment

OIA response

Response to a request for information on funding of anti-VEGF treatments.

24 October 2019

[name and contact details redacted]

Dear [name redacted]

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Thank you for your request dated 17 September 2019 under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) for information relating to anti-VEGF treatments.  This request has been transferred to PHARMAC from the Ministry of Health. In your clarified request you asked for:

  1. Data on the number of Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (anti-VEGF) injections delivered in New Zealand, disaggregated by District Health Board, for YE June 2019 and as far back as PHARMAC have data.
  2. The cost paid for anti-VEGF medications (bevacizumab, ranibizumab and aflibercept) disaggregated by DHB. I would like to request costs for all years which PHARMAC has data for.

PHARMAC response

We have provided the data in the tables below in response to your request. Please note that a unit is one injection. The table below shows the gross cost for all three anti-VEGF treatments. A confidential rebate applies to aflibercept, so the actual cost would be lower than that shown.

Where data has not been provided in the tables, this part of your request is refused under section 18(g) of the OIA, as the information is not held by PHARMAC, and we have no reason to believe it is held by another agency.

You have the right, by way of complaint under section 28(3) of the OIA to an Ombudsman, to seek an investigation and review of our decision.

We are making our information more freely available, so we will now publish selected OIA responses (excluding personal details) on our website.  Please get in touch with us if you have any questions about this.

We trust that this information answers your queries. 

Yours sincerely

Alison Hill
Director, Engagement and Implementation

Question 1: Volume data

Number of units (injections) dispensed by District Health Board

Aflibercept

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Auckland

                      13

                      14

                             <10

                        159

                    3,866

Bay of Plenty

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                          27

                       407

Canterbury

                      17

                      10

                          10

                        117

                    2,116

Capital and Coast

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                             <10

                       809

Counties Manukau

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                          35

                       769

MidCentral

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                          15

                       628

Nelson Marlborough

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                          12

                    1,260

Northland

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                          58

                       755

Southern

                         <10

                      12

                            <10

                          25

                       780

Tairawhiti

                       -  

                         <10

                           -  

                            <10

                          79

Waikato

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                          36

                       665

Wairarapa

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                            <10

                       145

West Coast

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                            <10

                       175

Whanganui

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                            <10

                       181

Ranibuzumab

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Auckland

                    279

                    484

                        780

                        941

                       125

Bay of Plenty

                       -  

                         <10

                            <10

                          21

                           -  

Canterbury

                    161

                    353

                        424

                        536

                       136

Capital and Coast

                       -  

                         <10

                          37

                          28

                            <10

Counties Manukau

                      23

                      42

                          81

                        121

                       149

MidCentral

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                           -  

                           -  

Nelson Marlborough

                      81

                    180

                        370

                        425

                          70

Northland

                      43

                      74

                        149

                        267

                          15

Southern

                         <10

                      15

                          25

                          47

                          24

Tairawhiti

                         <10

                         <10

                           -  

                            <10

                           -  

Waikato

                    147

                    324

                        114

                        137

                          13

Wairarapa

                       -  

                         <10

                           -  

                           -  

                           -  

West Coast

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                           -  

                           -  

Whanganui

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                           -  

                           -  

Bevacizumab

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Auckland

                    220

                    331

                        472

                        666

                    1,056

Bay of Plenty

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                           -  

                           -  

Canterbury

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                           -  

                           -  

Capital and Coast

                    129

                    165

                        191

                        263

                       154

Counties Manukau

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                           -  

                           -  

MidCentral

                         <10

                         <10

                            <10

                            <10

                           -  

Nelson Marlborough

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                           -  

                           -  

Northland

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                           -  

                           -  

Southern

                    136

                    155

                        191

                        212

                       205

Tairawhiti

                       -  

-  

-  

-  

-  

Waikato

                       -  

                       -  

                            <10

                            <10

                           -  

Wairarapa

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                           -  

                           -  

West Coast

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                           -  

                           -  

Whanganui

                       -  

                       -  

                           -  

                           -  

                           -  

Question 2: Expenditure data

Drug cost excluding GST by District Health Board

Aflibercept

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Auckland

 $21,643

 $23,308

 $14,954

 $200,750

 $4,832,500

Bay of Plenty

 

 

 

 $34,548

 $533,493

Canterbury

 $28,050

 $16,500

 $16,500

 $148,650

 $2,646,006

Capital and Coast

 

 

 

 $11,250

 $1,012,297

Counties Manukau

 

 

 

 $43,750

 $961,250

MidCentral

 

 

 

 $18,750

 $796,614

Nelson Marlborough

 

 

 

 $15,481

 $1,626,013

Northland

 

 

 

 $72,500

 $943,750

Southern

 $14,850

 $19,800

 $11,550

 $33,650

 $975,425

Tairawhiti

  

 $3,800

 

 $12,813

 $101,156

Waikato

 

 

 

 $50,178

 $834,177

Wairarapa

 

 

 

 $1,250

 $186,675

West Coast

 

 

 

 $6,250

 $219,363

Whanganui

 

 

 

 $7,550

 $228,000

Ranibuzumab

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Auckland

 $548,949

 $952,294

 $1,401,533

 $1,834,950

 $243,750

Bay of Plenty

 

 $8,104

 $6,078

 $ 42,547

  

Canterbury

 $314,857

 $689,169

 $827,551

 $1,046,224

 $265,200

Capital and Coast

  

 $5,850

 $72,150

 $54,600

 $3,900

Counties Manukau

 $45,254

 $82,637

 $159,284

 $214,716

 $290,550

MidCentral

 

 

 

 

 

Nelson Marlborough

 $158,906

 $353,869

 $746,753

 $857,756

 $141,278

Northland

 $84,605

 $145,599

 $292,656

 $520,650

 $29,250

Southern

 $13,650

 $25,350

 $44,850

 $83,850

 $40,950

Tairawhiti

 $4,505

 $17,552

  

 $10,091

  

Waikato

 $286,650

 $631,800

 $222,300

 $269,211

 $25,350

Wairarapa

  

 $2,018

 

 

 

West Coast

 

 

 

 

 

Whanganui

 

 

 

 

 

Bevacizumab

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Auckland

 $133,188

 $200,387

 $285,301

 $ 399,600

 $633,600

Bay of Plenty

 

 

 

 

 

Canterbury

 

 

 

 

 

Capital and Coast

 $77,400

 $ 99,000

 $114,600

 $ 157,800

 $92,200

Counties Manukau

 

 

 

 

 

MidCentral

 $ 5,400

 $4,800

 $1,200

 $2,400

  

Nelson Marlborough

 

 

 

 

 

Northland

 

 

 

 

 

Southern

 $81,600

 $93,000

 $114,600

 $127,200

 $123,000

Tairawhiti

  

$78

$196

$248

$130

Waikato

 

 

 $3,150

 $650

  

Wairarapa

 

 

 

 

 

West Coast

 

 

 

 

 

Whanganui