Pharmac Moves Towards Greater Consumer Engagement: David Seymour Welcomes Report

Minister Seymour reiterated the Government’s financial commitment to Pharmac, noting that last year’s budget allocation was the largest ever, with $6.294 billion allocated over four years, including a $604 million uplift.

Associate Health Minister David Seymour has welcomed the release of Pharmac’s Consumer Engagement Workshop Report, emphasizing the Government’s commitment to making medicine more accessible and ensuring patient voices are heard in decision-making processes.

Enhancing Medicine Access and Consumer Involvement

“Increasing the availability of medicines has always been a priority of mine,” Seymour stated. “For many New Zealanders, funding for pharmaceuticals is a matter of life or death, or the difference between a life of pain and suffering versus living freely.”

Seymour highlighted that, for the first time, Pharmac has a dedicated Minister. Last year, he outlined in his letter of expectations that Pharmac must establish effective processes for involving patients, caregivers, and their families in decision-making processes. This commitment was formalized in the Act-National Coalition Agreement.

The Consumer Engagement Workshop is a step toward a more adaptable and patient-centred approach to medicine funding and follows last year’s Medicines Summit, Seymour’s letter of expectations, and the acceptance of Patient Voice Aotearoa’s White Paper.

Resetting the Pharmac-Patient Relationship

Historically, patient and consumer engagement with Pharmac has been inconsistent due to the absence of a structured framework. The workshop provided an open forum for patient advocates to voice their concerns and expectations, with a consensus emerging that the current relationship between Pharmac and patients is unproductive and requires reform.

Key Recommendations from the Report

The report recommends that the Pharmac Board take the following actions:

• Invite workshop participants and the broader consumer-patient representative community to form a reference group that collaborates with Pharmac’s Board and management to improve engagement.
• Focus initial collaboration on improving Pharmac’s communication strategies, enhancing the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) application process, and developing a ‘fast track’ pathway for medical technologies already adopted overseas and backed by real-world evidence.
• Develop recommendations for how consumer and patient organizations can play a more active role in Pharmac’s decision-making processes.
• Address administrative and supply issues that impose unnecessary costs and hardships on patients.
• Establish a clear timetable and agenda for further engagement.
• Allocate resources to fund the secretariat costs of the reference group and future workshops with consumer and sector-based groups.
• Ensure the reference group plays an integral role in any broader reform efforts related to Pharmac.

Government Investment in Pharmac

Minister Seymour reiterated the Government’s financial commitment to Pharmac, noting that last year’s budget allocation was the largest ever, with $6.294 billion allocated over four years, including a $604 million uplift. This financial boost aims to empower Pharmac to negotiate better deals for essential medicines and ensure broader access for New Zealanders.

“We are committed to building a world-class health system, and that requires access to world-class medicines,” Seymour concluded. “This report is a significant step in ensuring that patient voices are at the heart of Pharmac’s decision-making processes.”