Four new medicines are expected to improve treatment options for the more than 10,000 New Zealanders living with respiratory conditions.
Pharmac will fund new medicines to treat conditions including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and severe allergic asthma (glycopyrronium and indacaterol, malizumab and tobramycin).
Director of operations Sarah Fitt said it is a significant step, because there are limited medical options for these conditions at present.
She said one of the new medicines, an injection for people suffering severe asthma, should stop attacks and repeated admissions to hospital, which can be the case for many sufferers.
Funding for the medicines would be available from 1 November.