Petitions

Report of the Health Select Committee on the petition

The Health Select Committee adopted its report on the petition on 3 August 2011. This report was presented to the House of Representatives on 5 August 2011.

The only recommendation of the Select Committee is that "the House takes note of its report."

All in all, the outcome of the petition is disappointing. The main conclusions to be drawn from the Committee's report are that the future availability of the original formulation of Eltroxin (made in Canada) is uncertain and that it is unlikely that it will ever be subsidised again.

You can count on it that Thyroid Support New Zealand will keep on monitoring this! Keep an eye on our news page.

Petition now pending before the Health Select Committee

On Friday 22 October 2010, Thyroid Support New Zealand and Temuka pharmacist Allan Campbell presented the petition on the funding of medicines for the treatment of hypothyroidism to Deputy Prime Minister, Hon Bill English. The hand over took place at MP Eric Roy’s electoral office in Invercargill, where the Deputy Prime Minister was welcomed by approximately 30 supporters of the petition.

Although our petition is addressed to the Minister of Health, Hon Tony Ryall, the requests in our petition are now on the agenda of the Health Select Committee of the House of Representatives. This is the result of a petition of Eric Roy MP to the House, in which he requests that Parliament supports our demands.

MPs Sue Kedgley and dr Jackie Blue have expressed their support for the petition in an email to TSNZ.

Petition on the funding of medicines for the treatment of hypothyroidism (closed)

Thyroid Support New Zealand has started a petition on the funding of medicines for the treatment of hypothyroidism.

The aim of this petition is to get the original formulation of Eltroxin (made in Canada) subsidised again instead of the new formulation (made in Germany) that caused serious side effects in many patients.

Obviously, we want the brands Synthroid and Goldshield to remain subsidised as well; the provisional consent for their sale, supply and use in New Zealand expires later this year.

How can you help?

if you want to support the petition, you can send an e-mail to TSNZ in which you say that you support the petition and ask TSNZ to put your name and address details on the signature list. You can click here to send your e-mail.
if you want to do more, you can print out the petition and signature list and collect signatures from relatives, friends, neighbours and colleagues. You can also, for example, ask your local medical centres and pharmacies for permission to leave the petition with signature list on their counter for people to sign.

The petition closes on 10 August 2010.
Please, send your e-mail or the signed signature list(s) to TSNZ by 10 August 2010 at the latest.

Print versions

full text of petition (Pdf, 1021.08 kb)
signature list (Pdf, 308.41 kb)

Important information

We would like to inform all thyroid patients that, as of 17 December 2009, GlaxoSmithKline is no longer manufacturing the original formulation of Eltroxin in Canada. The new manufacturer is Aspen and the distributor in Canada is Triton Pharma Ltd.

On our behalf, Allan Campbell (Temuka Pharmacy) has sought and received confirmation from Triton Pharma that at present this change will have no effect on the manufacturing process, site of manufacture, or ingredients. We can, therefore, reassure everyone that the Eltroxin currently made in Canada is still the same as the original formulation that used to be supplied and funded in New Zealand until mid 2007. We will keep on monitoring this.

When the Eltroxin manufactured by Aspen will come in from Canada is uncertain; that depends on the size of the stock of GSK made Eltroxin that Canada Drugs has in storage.

With many thanks to Allan Campbell

Link to Information on how to order the Canada made Eltroxin online

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