Library.

“Only two of seven triptan medicines available globally are publicly funded in New Zealand: sumatriptan and rizatriptan.”

Current New Zealand evidence supports the claim. PHARMAC’s schedule and decision records show that only sumatriptan and rizatriptan are publicly funded, while the other five triptan medicines used globally are not subsidised in New Zealand. Older sources about availability or approval do not rebut this, because they address access rather than public funding.

“In New Zealand, funded sumatriptan and funded rizatriptan are available at the standard prescription co-payment of about NZ$5 for people with a Community Services Card.”

The evidence does not support this statement. Official New Zealand sources indicate Community Services Card holders generally pay no co-payment for fully subsidised prescriptions from publicly funded or approved providers, not “about NZ$5.” In addition, the materials provided directly support funded sumatriptan but do not directly verify funded rizatriptan.

“Sessions at clinics in Auckland, New Zealand, typically cost NZ$80–NZ$140 each.”

The claim overstates what a typical Auckland clinic visit costs. Many routine GP and general clinic appointments, especially for enrolled patients, are commonly below NZ$80, often in roughly the NZ$26–NZ$65 range. NZ$80–NZ$140 is more characteristic of higher-priced subsets such as urgent care, non-enrolled or visitor consults, and some private or specialized services, not clinic sessions overall.

“In New Zealand, having fewer than 9 deceased organ donors per million people results in hundreds of patients dying each year while waiting for organ transplants.”

The claim is not supported by current New Zealand evidence. Recent official and medical sources place deceased donor rates above 9 per million in many recent years, and the available waiting-list mortality figures are far below “hundreds each year.” Patients do die waiting for transplants, but this claim overstates both the donor-rate problem and the scale of deaths.

“In 2011, there were 400 people on the transplant waiting list in New Zealand.”

The claim is directionally accurate but not exact. The strongest official evidence puts New Zealand’s organ transplant waiting list at 420 people on 31 December 2011, while other sources describe the figure more loosely as about 400 to 500. Saying “400” is a reasonable approximation, but it understates the specific official year-end count and leaves out that the list changed over time.

“Living Cell Technologies conducted clinical trials in New Zealand in which islet cells from Auckland Island pigs were transplanted into eight patients with type 1 diabetes.”

The central claim is well supported: Living Cell Technologies did conduct New Zealand clinical studies using Auckland Island pig islet cells in patients with type 1 diabetes. The problem is the number. Eight patients matches an intermediate stage reported at the time, but the completed New Zealand trial later treated 14 patients, so the claim is accurate in substance but incomplete as stated.