New Zealand medicine access campaign expands with patient-led film

Supernormal, McCann New Zealand, and dotdotdash have extended ‘The Forbidden Pharmacy’, a public awareness campaign addressing the lack of access to life-changing medicines for thousands of New Zealanders. The campaign highlights a critical issue where certain medications are not funded in New Zealand despite being routinely available in other parts of the world.

Supported by a coalition of 17 patient organizations, the initiative originally featured an immersive installation at Auckland’s Shed 10, displaying medicines behind locked doors to represent various illnesses and patient communities. The extension includes a 90-second film directed by Reagen Butler, which utilizes direct interviews with real patients rather than voice-overs to convey their personal experiences and the challenges they face.