Pharmac Working Group Ends After Year of Patient-Focused Change

Associate Health Minister David Seymour said the Consumer and Patient Working Group played an important role in creating a stronger connection between Pharmac and the people affected by its funding decisions.

A group established to improve the relationship between Pharmac and New Zealand patients has completed its work after spending the past year helping reshape how the agency engages with consumers and patient advocates.

Associate Health Minister David Seymour said the Consumer and Patient Working Group played an important role in creating a stronger connection between Pharmac and the people affected by its funding decisions. The group was formed last year as part of a broader effort to improve Pharmac's culture and rebuild trust with patients.

Chaired by Dr Malcolm Mulholland, the Working Group brought together representatives from a range of patient and advocacy organisations. Their task was to ensure patient perspectives were included more directly in discussions about medicines, treatments and healthcare access.

Reforms Lead to Changes Across the Organisation

The Working Group was created following feedback gathered through Pharmac's Consumer Engagement Workshops, where patient groups met directly with decision-makers to discuss how the agency could better serve New Zealanders. Over the past 12 months, several changes have been introduced as part of Pharmac's reset programme. A dedicated consumer relations function has been established to improve communication with patient advocates. New consultation tools and processes have also been introduced, making it easier for patients to provide feedback on funding proposals and policy decisions.

The agency has also progressed a refreshed vision and strategy designed to promote greater collaboration, transparency and innovation. Work has started on reviewing the Exceptional Circumstances Framework, including the Named Patient Pharmaceutical Assessment process, which helps determine access to medicines in special cases. Efforts have also been made to address application backlogs through trial programmes that allow faster assessments of funding requests.

More Funding and Expanded Access to Medicines

Seymour said the changes are already delivering benefits for patients and families across the country. He noted that the Government has provided Pharmac with its largest-ever budget, allocating $6.294 billion over four years, including a $604 million funding increase. That investment has supported 133 decisions to fund new medicines or expand access to existing treatments. Among those decisions are 46 cancer medicines, with more than 360,000 patients benefiting from the expanded funding and access.

While the Working Group has now concluded its initial role, Seymour said patient involvement will remain central to Pharmac's future plans. The next stage of the agency's long-term improvement programme is expected to be announced soon, building on the work completed over the past year and continuing efforts to ensure patient voices remain part of the decision-making process.

The Working Group included representatives from organisations such as Patient Voice Aotearoa, Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition, Rare Disorders NZ, Arthritis NZ, Epilepsy NZ, Haemophilia NZ, Leukaemia and Blood Cancer NZ, Heartbeats Charitable Trust, The Meningitis Foundation and The Medicine Gap.