Heart services are in “crisis” and people are being hospitalised and dying years too young because proper drugs aren’t funded by Pharmac for chronic heart failure , cardiologists warn. The Cardiac Society, which is the professional body for cardiologists, is calling on Pharmac to use a boost in funding to cover SGLT2 inhibitor drugs for all people with chronic heart failure . Those medicines are not new, and have long been standard of care in comparable developed countries including the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.
The drugs protect the heart from getting weaker, and can greatly extend the life of patients, ease debilitating symptoms like fatigue, and reduce hospitalisations. In New Zealand, these vital medications are only funded for Type 2 diabetics who meet certain criteria , including being at high risk of heart and kidney complications..
