Those in remote locations had often needed to wait several hours for the right treatment, even for things like pain relief, Doran said.
The Rural Health Network was particularly pleased to see the quickly-administered pain relief methoxyflurane, colloquially called the “green whistle”, added to the list of funded medications for Prime services, she said.
“It’s something you can inhale and acts as a really quick pain relief for moderate to severe pain, and certainly that will be great for those people involved with trauma or severe pain who are in a rural community and having to wait a while for an ambulance to come.”
Intravenous tranexamic acid – a blood-clotting agent – would also be provided to rural midwives assisting in homebirths, which could be used to prevent severe bleeding, she said.
“When women have very heavy bleeding after giving birth, it can make the difference [between life and death], so the earlier it’s given, the better outcome.”
Pharmac director strategy, policy, and performance, Michael Johnson, said the increased funding was aimed at ensuring those in remote areas were given the same access to emergency healthcare as those in urban centres.
Pharmac would also fund ketamine for uncontrollable pain in people receiving palliative care in their communities, he said.
“Ketamine is currently funded for palliative care in hospitals, but not in the community.
“Ketamine will be available by prescription or pre-stocked in rest homes and hospices so that people can get it when they need it.”
List of drugs to be funded
Prime services:
Droperidol, glucose (5% 100 ml bag and 10% 500 ml bag)Ketamine, methoxyfluraneIntravenous tranexamic acidEnoxaparin 100 mg
Home births:
Intravenous tranexamic acid for postpartum haemorrhage
– RNZ