Hospital Pharmaceuticals
Part of our work involves assisting District Health Boards with assessing and procuring pharmaceuticals used in public hospitals.
Funding of Hospital Pharmaceuticals
The Government has recently decided that PHARMAC should take responsibility for management of hospital pharmaceuticals, and to work towards managing these under a fixed budget. Over time we will become responsible for making decisions about which new pharmaceuticals would be funded for use in DHB hospitals.
We released a discussion paper in late 2010 to seek feedback from all interested parties on a range of issues relating to how best to work through what will be a significant change for DHB hospitals, PHARMAC and the wider health sector. Click here (6 pages, 175 KB) to download a copy of this paper.
Click here (1 page, 115 KB) for the latest (October 2011) update on the status of this work. Click here (4 pages, 137 KB) for the previous update.
National Hospital Pharmaceutical Strategy
The National Hospital Pharmaceutical Strategy (64 pages, 172 KB) was developed in 2002 after DHBs asked PHARMAC to help them purchase hospital pharmaceuticals. The Strategy outlines PHARMAC's overall approach to purchasing hospital pharmaceuticals.
Section H of the Pharmaceutical Schedule (Hospital Pharmaceuticals)
Section H is the list of medicines that PHARMAC has national contracts for. In addition, DHB hospitals can fund other medicines at their discretion (sometimes within defined limits). The first edition of Section H of the Pharmaceutical Schedule was published on 1 December 2002.
Click here to download the latest Section H.
Pharmaceutical Cancer Treatments
PHARMAC manages DHB hospital expenditure on Pharmaceutical Cancer Treatments (PCTs) through the Pharmaceutical Schedule from 1 July 2008. In addition to national contracting for these products, PHARMAC determines access criteria for PCTs. This means that patients around the country should have equivalent access at all DHB hospitals. DHBs are not able to provide access to treatment outside of the published list of PCTs, without an application under the Cancer Exceptional Circumstances process. This 
form can be downloaded.
Paediatric oncology/haematology does not have published national access criteria, and use of certain products may require notification for claims to be paid. Download (1 page, 39 KB) the notification form for Paediatric Oncology/Haematology
Hospital Pharmaceutical Assessment Database
This database has been developed for those who work at District Health Board (DHB) Hospitals to provide you with access to cost-utility analyses and information on what pharmaceuticals are being assessed by DHBs and PHARMAC. We welcome any comments you have on these assessments.
Access the Hospital Pharmaceutical Assessment Database (HPAD).
Page updated on 18 Nov 2011
Linked documents
Discussion paper on hospital pharmaceuticals. (6 pages, 175 KB)
24 August 2010 A national approach to hospital pharmaceutical funding The funding of pharmaceuticals used within District Health Board (DHB) hospitals is, with the exception of cancer treatments, currently determined by each DHB. A recent Government decision means that PHARMAC…
Hospital pharmaceuticals – update (1 page, 115 KB)
18 October 2011 Hospital Pharmaceuticals - Update Work on creating a single national list of pharmaceuticals to be available in DHB hospitals – a national Preferred Medicines List (PML) – is now well underway. We are working through different therapeutic…
Hospital pharmaceuticals - update; Contact: Sean Dougherty (4 pages, 137 KB)
18 April 2011 Hospital Pharmaceuticals - Update PHARMAC has been progressing work as it moves to take on management of hospital pharmaceutical funding. This document provides an outline of the work we have undertaken since the distribution of the discussion…
National Hospital Pharmaceutical Strategy (64 pages, 172 KB)
National Hospital Pharmaceutical Strategy Final Version Pharmaceutical Management Agency 1 February 2002 M16-3-8 #61114 1 Table of Contents Executive Summary 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Current Market Overview 2.1 Current purchasing arrangements 2.2 Range of pharmaceuticals purchased 2.3 Data collection and analysis…
Pharmaceutical Cancer Treatments Paediatric Oncology/Haematology Notification Form (1 page, 39 KB)
Pharmaceutical Cancer Treatments Paediatric Oncology/Haematology Notification Form Return completed form to: Exceptional Circumstances Panel Coordinator Phone: Fax: 04 916 7553 09 523 6870 Patient details Last name First name Date of birth NHI number Prescribing practitioner details Last name First…
