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PHARMAC Information sheet

Listening to consumers -

Role of the Consumer Advisory Committee

The Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC) helps PHARMAC better understand consumer and patient perspectives.

CAC

Consumer Advisory Committee

Considering Consumer perspectives

Our work directly affects the lives of New Zealanders so we need to consider the views of consumers and patients. Listening to the recommendations of the Consumer Advisory Committee is one of the ways that we achieve this.

What does the Committee do?

The Consumer Advisory Committee provides us with input from a consumer or patient perspective. Its role is to provide advice on how we can better seek the views of, and be responsive to, consumers. Advice can be sought from the Committee to obtain a consumer or patient view on many different areas, including: • educational information to assist patients • initiatives to promote the responsible use of medicines • how access to medicines could be improved • use of medicines by Māori, Pacific Peoples and other groups experiencing inequalities in relation to medicines • implementation of PHARMAC’s funding decisions.

Relationship to PHARMAC

The Consumer Advisory Committee is an advisory committee to the PHARMAC Board. It provides written reports to the Board, and its Chair attends Board meetings as an observer to report on the activities and findings of the Committee, and to comment on consumer issues. While accountable to the Board, the Committee’s general working relationship is with PHARMAC staff.

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PHARMAC Information sheet

Who are its members?

The Committee is made up of people from a range of backgrounds and interests including the health of Māori people, Pacific peoples, older people, women and mental health. For current membership of the Consumer Advisory Committee, visit our website.

Who appoints members?

When there are vacancies, PHARMAC advertises publicly for nominations and draws up a short list of nominated people for consideration by the PHARMAC Board, which makes the appointments. Committee members may be reappointed at the end of a term.

How does the Committee operate?

Committee members developed the following vision statement to describe the Committee’s aim: “To ensure that the voice of consumers is effectively represented in PHARMAC decision making in order to achieve optimal health outcomes.” The Terms of Reference which guide the Committee’s activity are available on our website. The Committee meets three or four times a year. Meeting minutes are available on our website. PHARMAC staff may also ask for Committee views on items that need to be progressed between scheduled Committee meetings.

How do I contact the Committee?

The Consumer Advisory Committee can be contacted by email: cac@pharmac.govt.nz, or you can write to the Consumer Advisory Committee at PHARMAC’s postal address.

PHARMAC is the Government agency that decides, on behalf of District Health Boards (DHBs), which medicines get subsidised so that they are more affordable for New Zealanders and available nationally. The subsidies PHARMAC sets are funded from a fixed budget that is part of DHB funding. PHARMAC also promotes the optimal use of medicines, carries out some procurement for DHBs, and manages special access programmes for some medicines. Information Sheets on various PHARMAC topics are available from our website: www.pharmac.govt.nz/patients/infosheets If you have specific areas of interest (such as consultations, committees or vacancies), visit our website and subscribe to news feeds in the area(s) of interest to you: http://pharmac.govt.nz/feeds

Contacting Us

Call us on 0800 66 00 50 (between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday), or on 04 460 4990 (between 8am and 5.30pm, Monday to Friday). Write to us at: PHARMAC, PO Box 10 254, Wellington – we respond to all letters Email us at enquiries@pharmac.govt.nz – we respond to all emails