Terms of Reference for the Consumer and Patient Working Group

1. Role of the Consumer and Patient Working Group

1.1 Purpose of the Consumer and Patient Working Group

The Consumer and Patient Working Group will provide insight, lived experience, and practical advice to ensure that the Pharmac Reset Programme is designed in a way that values and reflects the needs, values, and perspectives of consumers.

The Consumer and Patient Working Group has been established for the initial 12-month phase of the Reset Programme. The aim of this phase is to lay the foundation for a more transparent, outward focused, and collaborative organisation and support the wider reform of Pharmac.

The Consumer and Patient Working Group will conclude in June 2026 and new governance arrangements for the subsequent phases be established based on the skills and experience required to best partner with consumers over the remaining four-year Pharmac change programme.

1.2 Scope

The Consumer and Patient Working Group will provide advice for the Reset Programme and will not provide advice relating to funding of medicines of Pharmac, which fall outside the scope of the Reset Programme. The group will contribute to the wider reform of Pharmac, including the three workstreams of the Reset Programme which are:

• A new strategic vision
• Enhancing consumer engagement and trust
• Better processes

1.3 Ways of working

As a working group it is expected that members will actively participate in the development of plans, problem definition and solution design, providing constructive advice and input into the programme design to achieve the Reset Programme outcomes.

Members should take an inclusive approach to consumer voices to ensure a broad range of perspectives and interests are incorporated. Members are encouraged to actively connect with and engage networks and affiliations to inform their advice and feedback. Pharmac will provide support to enable meaningful engagement with wider groups.

The Consumer and Patient Working Group will contribute to the Reset Programme with insights, advice and recommendations across the workstreams and key decision points. This may mean participation outside of set Consumer and Patient Working Group meeting times.

As a Crown Entity, Pharmac understands and is committed to its obligations under te Tiriti o Waitangi and Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022. Pharmac will work to ensure it meets its obligations under the Code of Expectations for Consumer Engagement by heath entities. This includes ensuring that consumer voices are respected and valued, and that members are equipped with the necessary tools and resources to participate fully.

2. Operation of the Consumer and Patient Working Group

2.1 Membership

• The Consumer and Patient Working Group will consist of up to 10 consumer members, including the Chair, and will reflect the breadth and diversity of communities impacted by Pharmac’s work, including underrepresented voices.
• The Chair is nominated and selected by members of the wider consumer and patient community and is endorsed by the Pharmac Board.
• The Chair will agree an appointment process with the Reset Programme Manager that will compose a representative working group that contains the mix of skills and experience to most effectively contribute to the scope of the Reset Programme.
• The Chair, in agreement with the Reset Programme Manager, may review the makeup and performance of the working group to ensure the required skills and resources are available to be effective, including the ability to co-opt additional members for a specific purpose throughout the course of the programme.
• Members will be appointed until the end of June 2026. Members can choose to leave the Consumer and Patient Working Group at any point, providing the Chair and the Reset Programme Manager two weeks’ notice of their intention to resign.

2.2 Responsibilities of the Chair

• Liaise with the Reset Programme Team to finalise meeting schedules and agendas.
• Chair meetings of the Consumer and Patient Working Group or designate another member to chair in their absence.
• Ensure meetings are inclusive, well-facilitated, and structured to enable meaningful input.
• Attend Reset Programme Governance Group meetings and report back to the Consumer and Patient Working Group (subject to confidentiality requirements).

2.3 Responsibilities of Members

• Members will endeavour to attend all meetings and be sufficiently prepared to actively participate. Exceptions will be as agreed with the Chair
• Participate actively in meetings and provide informed, respectful, and constructive advice and feedback on the reset programme, including testing, validating, and improving solutions through a lived experience lens.
• Engage with materials provided before meetings and contribute to follow-up actions where required.
• Represent a broad consumer perspective and include the views of any represented consumer networks.
• Act in good faith, with a shared commitment to the goals of the reset programme.
• Maintain confidentiality where required.
• Comply with relevant obligations under the Crown Entities Act and other applicable legislation.

2.4 Responsibilities of the Reset Programme Manager

The Programme Manager, on behalf of Pharmac, will equip the Consumer and Patient Working Group by:

• Providing secretariat support, including meeting scheduling, minute-taking, and administrative assistance.
• Ensuring sufficient resources and materials are available for the group to undertake its activities, and any access needs of members are worked through.
• Valuing and responding to feedback, including showing how consumer input is influencing programme deliverables.

2.5 Management of Meetings

• Meetings will be held monthly (or more frequently as needed), via a mix of virtual and in-person sessions. Additional time may be required to review materials and provide feedback outside formal meetings.
• An agenda will be circulated to members prior to each meeting. Pre-reading will be made available where this will be useful for discussions.
• Meetings will be closed to non-members unless in agreement with the Chair.
• Where members cannot attend a meeting, they can provide written or verbal feedback to the Chair.
• Attendance of 50% of members will constitute a quorum.
• In situations where a vote is split, the Chair has a casting vote to break the impasse.

2.6 Conflicts of Interest

• Members are to fully disclose and appropriately manage any interests and conflicts of interest, including recording them in an interest register.
• The interest register is to be considered and confirmed as up to date at the commencement of each Consumer and Patient Working Group meeting. The Chair will facilitate any actual or perceived conflicts of interest raised.
• The group will follow the Pharmac Conflict of Interest Policy for guidance around actual or perceived conflicts.
• The Reset Programme Manager will be responsible for management of the interest register.

2.7 Confidentiality

• Members may be privy to sensitive information and are expected to maintain confidentiality in line with Pharmac’s confidentiality policies.

2.8 External Communications and Public Statements

• The Consumer and Patient Working Group will engage with the wider consumer community to facilitate a broad view of perspectives and insights. Pharmac will provide support and resources, so participation is accessible.
• The Consumer and Patient Working Group, collectively and individually, is not expected make any public statements on its work. Any public or media requests will be managed through the Reset Programme Manager and Chair in the first instance.
• Consumer and Patient Working Group meeting notes and updates will be shared publicly (subject to confidentiality), to uphold transparency and show how consumer input informs change.

2.9 Official Information

• The Official Information Act 1983 applies to the records and work of the Consumer and Patient Working Group.

3. Fees and Expenses

• Members will be remunerated for the services they provide to Pharmac, including attending meetings, time spent preparing for meetings, and anytime participating in forums that relate to the Consumer and Patient Working Group (such as community consultation meetings)
• Members will be remunerated in line with the Cabinet Fees Framework, at a level agreed between the Chair and the Reset Programme Manager and as per their delegated financial authority.
• Members who are staff of a New Zealand public sector organisation are not permitted to claim fees to attend meetings.
• Pharmac will provide travel and accommodation expenses for members to attend meetings and other costs incurred as part of the role of the working group. 
• Expenses beyond meeting preparation and attendance will be agreed between the Chair and the Reset Programme Manager in advance to enable sufficient planning and ensure probity.

4. Relationship Management

4.1 Relationship with the Pharmac Board

• The Board will endorse the membership of the Consumer and Patient Working Group and seek assurance from Pharmac that the group is sufficiently resourced to undertake its functions.
• The Pharmac Board may from time to time seek advice directly from the Consumer and Patient Working Group on matters relating to the design and delivery of the Reset Programme.
• The advice and feedback from the Consumer and Patient Working Group will be transparent to the Board and will inform Board decisions.
• The Chair of the Consumer and Patient Working Group will also be a member of the Reset Programme Governance Group which will report into the Pharmac Board.

4.2 Relationship with Pharmac Staff

• The Reset Programme Manager will attend each meeting and support the Consumer and Patient Working Group with resourcing and secretariat to ensure it can effectively undertake its functions.
• Pharmac Reset Programme staff will provide information in a timely and accessible manner so that the Consumer and Patient Working Group can contribute effectively and where most needed.
• Any sensitive information necessary be shared as part of this work will be undertaken in line with Pharmac’s information security policies.

4.3 Relationship with the other consumer groups

• This group will operate independently of the Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC) and its mandates under the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022. As part of its role in providing strategic advice to Pharmac the CAC may request updates on the Reset Programme from Pharmac which will include the input of the Consumer and Patient Working Group.
• This group will not provide advice or input that is within the remit of other consumer or technical advisory groups, particularly those that relate to advice on medicines and medical devices.
• In recognising the different functions and activities of the Consumer and Patient Working Group and other groups it is expected that there won’t be any overlap of membership, and that separation of membership will foster greater diversity of consumer voice across Pharmac programmes.

5. Cessation

• The Consumer and Patient Working Group will be disestablished at the conclusion of phase one of the Reset Programme, in June 2026.
• The Reset Programme Manager and Chair may agree an extension if the programme timelines are also extended. Similarly, the group may be disestablished early if the programme is completed earlier.
• The Reset Programme Manager will work with the group to design what ongoing Consumer engagement mechanisms will be required to support future stages of the Reset Programme.