Pharmac Minister David Seymour says a decision on extra funding for the agency is "imminent", but couldn't discuss exactly what would be going before Cabinet.
It comes after The Post reported the Government was expected to announce a boost to the drug buying agency of at least $600m over four years.
The proposed 40% boost to the drug buying agency's medicine budget, as reported by The Post, would allow it to buy dozens of medications for cancer and other illnesses.
The issue has dogged the Government since Budget Day, Kim Baker Wilson reports. (Source: 1News)
Seymour told 1News there were a "bunch of options for getting more drugs for people with cancer" up for consideration, but couldn't go into details.
"I think it's fair to say there's options on the table, either more money to Pharmac, a separate drug buying agency, or direct Pharmac to buy these specific drugs.
"All of those have pluses and minuses but I'm convinced we will come up with a certain answer that gives people what they need."
Seymour said it was "really important" to preserve the independence of Pharmac.
"However, there are more than one ways to skin a cat and we know that at the end of the day we've got to think about what's best for all patients."
He said there had been a lot of politics around the issue and apologised to patients for the "back and forth".
"The truth is, we're going through a process to get the best possible decision for the limited dollars the taxpayer has to get maximum pharmaceuticals and ultimately treatments for those people suffering with cancer, or any other illness for that matter."
National campaigned on spending a total of $280m over four years on 13 treatments that would have helped fight bladder, bowel, liver, lung, kidney and head and neck cancers in addition to melanoma.
It was supposed to be funded by reinstating the $5 prescription payments, however the promise was not fulfilled on Budget Day.
Chairman of Patient Voice Aotearoa, Malcolm Mulholland welcomed today's news, and said it would put a "significant dent in Pharmac's waiting list of medicines they want to fund."
"I hope that today's news signals the end of New Zealand being the only country in the world with a waiting list of medicines. Having patients wait for years for a medicine not only leads to poorer health outcomes but is inhumane."
"It should be to our eternal shame that successive Governments underfunded Pharmac for over two decades which resulted in an ever-growing waiting list of medicines, and consequently, lives either being cut short or living in pain and misery."
The Government's decision not to fund the medicines as part of its Budget 2024 faced heavy backlash from patients and campaigners.
Cancer patient Paul Drummond told 1News for many this was a "life or death decision".
Health Minister Shane Reti said the Government "could have communicated better" about whether it was funding 13 additional cancer treatments starting this year.
Speaking to Q+A earlier this month, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said she understood how important the drugs were to patients, families, and loved ones.
"We are going to meet that commitment with urgency," said Willis.
"I've spoken with [Associate Minister of Health] David Seymour and [Health Minister] Dr Shane Reti in recent days and they are confident we are going to come up with a fix very soon."
In late April Seymour announced the Government was increasing Pharmac's budget to almost $6.3 billion over four years - an extra $1.774 billion.
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