The Māori Affairs Committee has voted to launch an inquiry into health inequities for Māori, with the Terms of Reference yet to be agreed on.
Māori Affairs chairperson Rino Tirikatene acknowledged Malcolm Mulholland, who has been lobbying the Government to review Pharmac's funding model, and the New Zealand Māori Council for their calls for an inquiry.
"We're confident as a committee that we will be able to reach agreement through drafting of those Terms of Reference and then got on with the actual mahi (work)."
Mr Tirikatane said the need to investigate is clear in the messages they've received as well as well-publicised cases of inequality.
"There are issues not only around access to treatments but it's also around equity of outcomes, equity of access for Māori right across the health system and that's why it is very broad and we've deliberately set it that way so we can scope it and refine it for our Terms of Reference," he said.
Māori Affairs deputy chairperson Marama Davidson said she's "really concerned" that Māori women with breast cancer will die sooner than non-Māori and have less access to breast cancer medicines and prescriptions.
"I'm really concerned that there's a difference in the rate of resuscitation for Māori babies than there is for non- Māori babies, these are two examples of far too many that is unacceptable to us in the Māori Affairs select committee," she said.
New Zealand Māori Council chairman Matt Tukaki welcomed the announcement, calling it a "fantastic outcome".
"This is a big win for our people. This is a big win for the health inequities that me, Māori and many New Zealanders suffer from - you know, Pharmac and what's happening within that system, the mental health system, the primary health system so I couldn't be prouder of the outcome today," he said.
Malcolm Mulholland, who along with his wife Wiki, is calling for an overhaul of Pharmac's funding model and the funding of two late-stage breast cancer drugs, said he was pleased about today's announcement but has mixed emotions.
"It's an emotional time cause I'm really, really happy but I'm mindful that since Christmas, 38 women have gone to their grave not knowing what is going on with an inquiry," he said.
"We're still waiting for a response from the Health select committee on if they'll go into one - it's important they do because while this affects Māori, it also affects non-Māori."
Mr Mulholland said comparing New Zealand's health outcomes to OECD countries shows that "it's a massive issue confronting the entire nation."
Last year, Pharmac chief executive Sarah Fitt told 1 NEWS the government agency understands the impact of breast cancer and the desire to fund new treatments but it's role is to consider all evidence and make decisions that are in the interests of all New Zealanders.
"While some medicines may be available in other countries, the funding and reimbursement systems are often not comparable.
"New Zealand must make its own decisions, carefully assessing the available evidence and thinking about medicines use in the New Zealand health context," she said in a statement.
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