Having a say
There are many ways consumers and patients can have a say in Pharmac’s work because your voice is important to us.
Having a say in Pharmac’s work
When Pharmac looks to make a decision that will impact New Zealanders’ lives, like funding a medicine or procuring medical devices to support people’s healthcare, we seek public feedback through formal consultation.
Why we want to hear from you
Before we consult, we’ve heard the clinical evidence which tells us a lot about how treatments work but, doesn’t tell us what it’s like living with a condition. This is why your lived experiences are important to Pharmac.
Your views are important to help us understand if we have captured the real needs of people living with a condition and considered experiences beyond clinical advice and data. This includes impacts on day-to-day life, physical and mental wellbeing, and the wider whānau or family.
How to share your experience
During any Pharmac formal consultation, you can share your experience in your own words or through a question-and-answer style note or letter. This is allowed for in the forms for each consultation, recognising that sharing such experiences is challenging for some people.
Sharing your experience doesn’t guarantee that a specific medicine will be funded, but your input helps Pharmac make better decisions and be more responsive to people’s needs.
Your privacy and Pharmac’s responsibilities
Your privacy and the security of the information you share with us when you give feedback is important, and we take this seriously. Pharmac has legal responsibilities for how we manage your information, under the Official Information Act and Privacy Act. Pharmac collects and holds your information in line with our Privacy Statement.
General enquiries
Pharmac’s general enquiries team is here to make it easy for people to connect with us and get the information they need.
The team is ready to help answer a wide range of questions, and to ensure your enquiry is handled with care and understanding. When a question needs specialist knowledge, we’ll guide it to the right subject matter expert within Pharmac, so you receive the most accurate information.
To reach us, within New Zealand, you can call us free between 8am and 5pm Monday-Friday (except public holidays) on 0800 660 050, or phone +64 446 04990 if you are overseas.
You can also email us: enquiry@pharmac.govt.nz
Consumer relations team
Pharmac’s consumer relations team helps consumer and patient representatives connect more easily with Pharmac and bring their lived experience to shape how we work.
Our consumer relations staff are a clear point of contact for consumer representatives and are focussed on building ongoing relationships with consumer and patient groups.
Contact the Consumer Relations Team
Other ways we receive feedback
Pharmac consults with different groups to make sure we gather evidence from diverse perspectives to inform our decisions. This includes groups such as:
- Independent Clinical Experts: Practicing GPs, specialists, nurses, and other prescribers, who provide crucial clinical evidence and patient insights.
- Specialist Advisory Committees: Groups focused on specific health issues such as cancer or respiratory illnesses, or areas like medical devices.
- Consumer and Patient Representatives: We work in partnership with the Consumer Advisory Committee and the Consumer and Patient Working Group to understand the real-world impact of our decisions, and to make sure their perspectives are embedded in our processes.
- Health Sector Partners: We work with partner agencies, including the Ministry of Health(external link), Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora(external link) and the National Public Health Service(external link), Te Aho o Te Kahu (Cancer Control Agency)(external link), Medsafe(external link) and other providers.
- Pharmaceutical Companies/Suppliers: For funding applications and to discuss evidence of how effective a medicine or device is.
What we consult on
Pharmac consults publicly on a wide range of topics across its work programme, including:
Medicines
- New funding proposals for medicines, targeted consultations for rare conditions, or under-represented populations.
- Annual tender process to secure supply of community and hospital medicines, including consultation on clinical suitability, patient impact, brand changes and supply concerns.
- Special Authority criteria, which determine who can access certain medicines and under what conditions.
- Decisions to remove or decline funding applications from the Options for Investment list.
- Securing alternative supplies of medicines when supply issues arise.
Medical Devices
- Proposals to list hospital medical devices, such as orthopaedic implants.
- Changes to access, brand, or supply arrangements for medical devices already in use.
Operational and Policy changes
- Legislative or regulatory reforms affecting Pharmac operations.
- Internal policy updates such as procurement rules or funding pathways.
Subscribe for more information
You can stay in the loop with Pharmac’s work and its likely impact on you, by subscribing to one of our mailing lists. We send out alerts about consultations and all our decisions. You can change your subscription at any time.