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Scoop
12 hours ago
- Scoop
Guidelines Released For Prescribing Psilocybin
Associate Minister of Health Associate Health Minister David Seymour is welcoming steps to provide medical practitioners with more tools to treat people with depression, with Medsafe publishing guidelines for experts wanting to prescribe Psilocybin. 'This is huge for people with depression who've tried everything else and are still suffering. If a doctor believes psilocybin can help, they should have the opportunity to do what's best for their patient,' says Mr Seymour. 'Recent changes have put New Zealand's settings in line with Australia, where authorised prescribers have been using psilocybin in clinical settings for some time. 'Psilocybin remains an unapproved medicine, but one highly experienced psychiatrist has already been granted authority to prescribe it to patients with treatment-resistant depression. 'This is excellent news for their patients, but there are other Kiwis in need in different parts of New Zealand who might have an appropriate practitioner nearby. 'Practitioners must meet a series of requirements to gain approval, including being registered with the Medical Council with a current practicing certificate, a good understanding and experience of the medicines and the psychotherapeutic processes involved in psychedelic-assisted therapy, and a detailed proposal of how they will administer the treatment that has been peer reviewed and will be considered by Medsafe. 'Soon more practitioners will have the ability to use this medicine, meaning more patients will benefit.'
Scoop
15 hours ago
- Scoop
New Investment To Drive AI And Biotech Innovation
Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology The Government is investing $24 million in smart, practical science that will help New Zealanders live healthier lives and support the development of sustainable food industries. Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti today announced two major research programmes in partnership with Singapore, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) tools for healthy ageing and biotechnology for future food production. 'Science and innovation are critical to building a high-growth, high-value economy. That's why we're investing in research with a clear line of sight to commercial outcomes and real public benefit,' Dr Reti says. 'This Government is focused on backing the technologies that will deliver real-world results for New Zealanders – not just in the lab, but in our hospitals, homes, and businesses. 'Whether it's supporting older Kiwis to live well for longer or developing smarter food production systems, these projects are about practical applications of advanced science to solve problems and grow our economy.' Funded through the Catalyst Fund, designed to facilitate international collaboration, the investment will support seven joint research projects over the next three years, deepening New Zealand's research ties with Singapore and building capability in AI and biotechnology. The AI programme, delivered alongside AI Singapore, directly supports the Government's Artificial Intelligence Strategy – a plan to use AI to safely and effectively boost productivity and deliver better public services. 'Our AI Strategy is about encouraging the uptake of AI to improve productivity and realise its potential to deliver faster, smarter, and more personalised services, including in healthcare,' says Dr Reti. 'These projects will help develop tools that support clinicians and improve care for our ageing population. Our collaboration with Singapore, a country well advanced in their use and development of AI, will help grow Kiwi capability to explore future practical uses of AI.' The biotechnology programme will focus on turning scientific research into scalable food solutions, including alternative proteins and new food ingredients, in partnership with Singapore's A*STAR. 'These partnerships are about future-proofing our economy and our communities — tackling global challenges with New Zealand science at the forefront,' Dr Reti says.
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
Telehealth launch criticised
A local primary health organisation has criticised recent announcements about the launch of telehealth services. Minister of Health Simeon Brown recently announced a new 24/7 digital health service offering virtual consultations with New Zealand-registered doctors and nurses "anytime, anywhere". The service connects patients to clinicians through trusted providers using secure digital technology. Doctors and nurse practitioners will be able to assess symptoms, diagnose conditions, prescribe medications and provide referrals — all from wherever the patient is. "This is about making sure Kiwis can get the medical help they need when they need it, especially when they can't get a timely appointment with their regular general practitioner, or outside normal clinic hours," Mr Brown said. "It also helps ease pressure on emergency departments by treating non-urgent issues earlier and in the right setting." It would ensure care was available when and where it was needed, helping to bridge the gap when traditional access to a general practitioner was not possible, he said. The digital service gave people greater access to the care they needed, but did not replace the critical role of general practitioners, who were responsible for their patients' continuity of care. "That is why providers will be required to send clinical notes back to a patient's GP after an appointment. "At the same time, we are backing GPs with a record up-to-14% funding boost this year to support the critical work they do in our communities," Mr Brown said. WellSouth chief executive Andrew Swanson-Dobbs said primary care was in crisis in many parts of the Southern region and across the country. "We continue to hear about clinicians working unpaid, about doctors unable to retire as there is no replacement." "This is compounded in our rural parts," Mr Swanson-Dobbs said. About half of the general practices in Otago and Southland are rural or at least a 50-minute drive from a hospital. Existing services had been undermined, both clinically and financially, by telehealth providers, he said. "Investment is shifted to a service that effectively takes patients away from their own GPs. "To make matters worse, telemedicine is pulling GPs and nurses from practices for these telehealth roles." Telehealth was contributing to the issue and should not be seen as an alternative to a superior face-to-face service, he said. "If you want to reverse the trend of too few GPs, hire more GPs, fund the existing GPs adequately." As the primary health organisation for Otago and Southland, WellSouth had always maintained that investment in primary care should first and foremost support the workforce on the ground in existing general practices. "Our rural communities especially need clinicians to keep their practices sustainable." While telemedicine was an important part of primary care, more investment in people was needed, he said. "That is why at WellSouth, we are investing in building and sustaining our local general practice workforce, through new investment in training and supporting our GP registrars and new nurse practitioners, in addition to our existing nursing workforce and healthcare assistants." Mr Brown said that, as minister of health, his priority was to ensure all New Zealanders had access to timely, quality healthcare. "That is why the government has invested a record $16.68 billion in health over three budgets to bring down wait lists, employ more frontline health workers and ensure we have the health infrastructure Kiwis need. "This government has been clear that we want to see more healthcare delivered in the community and ensure that hospitals have capacity to provide planned treatments and emergency procedures. "To do this, we need greater funding of primary and community healthcare." The recent announcement of an agreement between the government and the University of Waikato to establish a new medical school may provide some welcome news. WellSouth clinical director Dr Carol Atmore said training doctors with a focus on primary care and rural health was important for the country. "The evidence shows that if you train people from rural backgrounds in rural settings both at undergraduate level and once qualified as doctors, those doctors are much more likely to settle and work in rural communities in the longer term. "Nearly half of our communities in Otago and Southland are rural and this is where the biggest workforce issues sit across the country." While there was no guarantee the graduates would end up working in the South, it was hopeful that having about 120 graduates going through the new primary care and rurally focused training programme at the University of Waikato might help alleviate some of those workforce pressures for Otago and Southland in the long term, Dr Atmore said.
