Only Nine Patients To Get A.I.D.S. Drug (Press, 11 April 1987)

On 11 April 1987, reports emerged that only about nine out of the 28 New Zealanders who had died from AIDS would be able to access Retrovir, a life-extending drug, when it became available next month. The New Zealand Health Department was developing a system to determine which patients would be allowed to use the scarce medication, a decision that would inevitably leave many without access. Retrovir, produced by Burroughs Wellcome in the United States and Wellcome in Britain, was in limited supply globally, leading to a rationing system based on the number of reported cases in each country. Ken Swann, the acting manager of medicines and benefits within the Health Department in Wellington, indicated that Wellcome New Zealand anticipated being able to provide enough Retrovir for about 18 patients three months after its introduction, although the timeframe for meeting overall demand was uncertain. The cost of treatment with Retrovir was projected to reach up to NZ$18,000 a year, approximately NZ$45 per day, which was seen as more economical compared to the NZ$200 daily expense of hospitalising a patient. The Health Department was exploring various options for the drug’s allocation, including the possibility of limiting prescriptions to a select number of doctors or restricting its availability to hospital settings. The department awaited guidance from the A.I.D.S. Advisory Committee regarding the implementation of an allocation system. Swann noted the challenging nature of the decisions facing the medical community, stating that any determinations would have to be made on clinical grounds. He added that while the drug could have significant side effects, some patients might choose not to take it. Moreover, recent findings indicated that individuals with AIDS antibodies were more likely to progress to full AIDS than previously recognised, with studies suggesting that the trend observed overseas would also apply in New Zealand. In Dunedin, Professor David Skegg, a prominent figure in preventive medicine at the Otago Medical School, highlighted the seriousness of the AIDS situation in New Zealand, asserting that certain individuals underestimated the extent of the problem. He remarked that the rate of AIDS in New Zealand was already comparable to that of Britain, countering the notion that New Zealand was lagging behind other nations in dealing with the epidemic.

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