Fracture Liaison Services

In 2013-14, the District Annual Planning process for District Health Boards (DHBs) established implementation of a Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) as an expectation for all DHBs. The 2014-15 Annual Plan Guidelines retain a focus on FLS in the Health of Older People section (see page 32):

• Requirement: Full operation of a FLS
• Measurement: Evidence that the DHB has established a FLS and is monitoring its operation, in particular in respect of the number of people identified as having fragility fractures and the proportion who avoid a secondary fracture

Waitemata DHB was the first to establish an FLS in New Zealand in December 2013. A case study on the development of the Waitemata FLS, and other leading international programmes is available from here.

Funding of osteoporosis medicines

PHARMAC subsidises a range of treatments for osteoporosis which are summarised on the Treatment of osteoporosis page of our website.