Emgality advocacy toolkit launched
At the end of November, we submitted a consumer application to Pharmac to fund Emgality (galcanezumab) for the treatment of chronic migraine. Read our press release here To coincide with our application, we’ve developed an Emgality advocacy toolkit. The toolkit is designed to help people in New Zealand support our application and raise awareness of […]
Migraine Foundation submits application to Pharmac to fund Emgality
Press release Migraine Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand has submitted a consumer application to Pharmac to fund Emgality (galcanezumab) for the treatment of chronic migraine. Emgality is one of several monoclonal antibody medications that act to block a protein, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which is involved in triggering migraine attacks. CGRP monoclonal antibodies are the first […]
Few people on a benefit for migraine in New Zealand
If you’ve ever wondered how many people in Aotearoa New Zealand are on a benefit with migraine disease, we have some answers, but many more questions. We asked the Ministry of Social Development for the number of people with migraine on a Supported Living Payment (SLP-HCD), or a Jobseeker – Health Condition or Disability (JS-HCD) […]
More migraine data needed in New Zealand
New Zealand has a migraine data issue. The issue is the lack of data on migraine in New Zealand. We rely on estimates from the international Global Burden of Disease study to give us an idea of how common migraine is, because we don’t have up-to-date national statistics. Data from the New Zealand Health Survey […]
Dealing with bad or unsolicited advice about migraine
How many times has someone found out I have migraine and they immediately offer me their solution. I’ve been told: You should get your eyes tested You should try acupuncture You should try Chinese medicine You should try ayurvedic medicine You should try these special supplements, that my wife has a business in You should […]
Shades for Migraine in New Zealand
On 21 June we joined with many other organisations and advocates to help raise awareness of migraine disease. We encouraged people in New Zealand to post photos of themselves, their family, their pets, their colleagues, wearing a pair of sunglasses for the global social media campaign Shades for Migraine, run by the Association of Migraine […]
Pharmac responds to our erenumab funding feedback
Pharmac responds to our feedback we submitted in April following PTAC’s recommendation that erenumab be funded, but with a low priority. Last week we received a reply from Pharmac regarding the feedback we submitted following the Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee (PTAC) recommendation that erenumab (Aimovig) be funded, but with a low priority and only […]
New report highlights medication underfunding in NZ
What a new report about funding of cancer medicines tells us about the broader chronic underfunding of medications in NZ. On 28 April 2022, the Cancer Control Agency I Te Aho o te Kahu, released a report that examined the gap between the number of cancer medications that Australia funds, versus how many are funded […]
Unjustified dismissal for severe migraine – lessons for NZ
What a worker’s experience of unjustified dismissal tells us about the management of migraine in New Zealand. On 20 April 2022, the New Zealand Herald reported on a story about a mechanical technician, Shane Hawkins, who was awarded compensation for unjustified dismissal due to his persistent and debilitating migraine attacks. Two aspects of this story […]
Pharmac declines application for wider range of triptans
After nearly 10 years, Pharmac finally published its decision for funding a wider range of triptans. Nearly 10 years ago, in July 2012, Pharmac received an application for a wider range of triptan medications to be funded for people living with migraine. Only two triptans are funded and available in New Zealand – sumatriptan and […]
