Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee (PTAC)

The Committee provides objective clinical advice to Pharmac.

On this page

Updates to this page

18 March 2025 | Provisional recommendations from February meeting added

19 December 2025 | Agenda for February 2026 meeting added

18 December 2025 | Provisional recommendations from November meeting added

About the Committee

The Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee provides objective clinical advice to help Pharmac make decisions about how to use its funds wisely. It provides and promotes critical appraisal of the strength and quality of evidence for funding applications. This is applied rigorously, systematically, and consistently across all clinical areas.

It's made up of senior health practitioners from a range of specialities, who also regularly work with patients and their families. This means they can bring an evidence-based perspective but also provide insight on how Pharmac’s decisions apply to real people in New Zealand.

The Committee's part in the funding process

The committee's role in considering funding applications is set out in Pharmac’s Operating Policies and Procedures. Pharmac will assess the initial funding application and notify the applicant whether:

it will be considered by the Committee
it will be considered by a specialist advisory committee, or
further information is required before an assessment can be made.

The full details of Committee’s remit can be found in its Terms of Reference. The Terms of Reference were updated in 2021 to include the potential to have a consumer member, and increase consumer perspectives, on the Committee.

2021 PTAC Terms of Reference [PDF, 887 KB]

A recommendation from the Committee is not a guarantee that Pharmac will fund the medicine. Committee's advice is a vital step in the process for considering all funding applications, but it is not the only consideration. Pharmac must look at the whole picture to ensure we are getting the best health outcomes for New Zealand.

Pharmac's prioritisation process

Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee members

Rhiannon Braund (Deputy Chair / Acting Chair) – Head, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences
PhD, BPharm, BSc (Biochemistry), FPS, FNZCP, RegPharmNZ
Brian Anderson – Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine Specialist
MBChB, Dip Obst, FANZCA, FCICM, PhD
Matthew Dawes – Physician and Clinical Pharmacologist
BSc, MB BS, MRCP, PhD
Elizabeth Dennett – General Surgery - Colorectal
BMedSci, MBChB, GradDipMed, MMedSci, MAppMgt(Hlth), FRACS, FASCRS
Helen Evans – Paediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology
BSc, MBChB, MRCPCH, FRACP
Bruce King – Specialist Internal Medicine and Nephrology
MBChB, FRACP
Liza Lack – Clinical Director, National Hauora Coalition – Waikato
BMedSci, MB,BS,DRCOG,DFFPA,DCH,PGDip GP (Hons), Dip Strategic Management (Hons), Master Health Science
James Le Fevre – Emergency Medicine Specialist
MBChB, FACEM, MBA, CMInstD
Robyn Manuel – Consumer Member
BSc, MSc (1st class), PhD (Chemistry), PGDip.Public Health, Dip.Te Reo Maori, GradDip.Teaching (Secondary). Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Kurī and Te Aupōuri
John Mottershead – Consultant Neurologist
FRACP, FRCP BM BCh, BA (oxon), MSc (Distinction)
Stephen Munn – Transplant Surgeon
MBChB, FRACS, FACS
Matthew Strother – Medical Oncologist
MD (USA), FRACP
Paul Vroegop – Child & Adolescent Liaison Psychiatrist and Specialist Pain Medicine Physician
MBChB, FRANZCP, FFPMANZCA

Committee members are appointed by the Director-General of Health, in consultation with the Pharmac Board. This process is guided by an appointment protocol [PDF, 72 KB].

Interested senior health practitioners can apply directly or are nominated by professional medical bodies, such as the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Vacancies are posted on the Pharmac careers website(external link).

Committee meeting agenda setting

The scheduling and agenda setting process for advisory meetings considers multiple factors. We aim to balance the relative priorities of:

clinical advice needed across indications
the factors for consideration for each application (such as, unmet health need)
the time since applications were received
the internal and advisor resource available to support each meeting.

Deadlines for PTAC meetings

If Pharmac chooses to seek PTAC advice on a funding application, the application must have been received by the following dates to be available for consideration at one of PTAC’s four annual meetings.

Note: application deadlines have changed from previous years. If you have question, email ptac@pharmac.govt.nz

Deadline for an application to be received by Pharmac, to be considered by PTAC:	PTAC’s meeting date:
~~18 August 2025~~	~~13 and 14 November 2025~~
~~22 October 2025~~	12 and 13 February 2026 Agenda
14 January 2026	14 and 15 May 2026
8 April 2026	14 August 2026
7 July 2026	12 and 13 November 2026

Records of Committee meetings

Provisional recommendations from meetings

We’re trialling a new approach of releasing provisional recommendations within 30 business days of the Committee meeting. Once the full record is published, the provisional recommendations remain available as a download.

More about this approach

Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee Provisional Recommendations 12 and 13 February 2026

Pharmaceutical and Indication	Provisional Recommendation
Aprepitant 40 mg(external link) tablet for people at high risk of post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV)	Medium Priority
Abemaciclib(external link) for the treatment of people with hormone receptor positive, HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer	Cost Neutral**
Pembrolizumab (with pemetrexed) for malignant pleural mesothelioma, unresected advanced, 1^st line non-epithelioid histological subtypes(external link) all histological subtypes(external link)	Withheld*
Nivolumab + Ipilimumab for malignant pleural mesothelioma, unresected advanced, 1^st line non-epithelioid histological subtypes(external link) all histological subtypes(external link)	Withheld*
Testosterone cream (AndroFeme 1)(external link) for hypoactive sexual desire dysfunction (HSDD) in postmenopausal women	Low Priority
International Normalized Ratio (INR)(external link) testing equipment for people who require long-term anticoagulation management on warfarin	High Priority
Salbutamol dry powder inhaler(external link) for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and asthma	Cost Neutral**
Whey Protein Concentrate(external link) (Unflavoured) as a protein supplement for protein losing enteropathy, high protein needs, or use as a component in a modular formula	Cost Neutral**
Fortisip(external link) Plant Based for people who need oral nutrition support, vegan option	Cost Neutral**
Tadalafil for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension(external link), Raynards syndrome and people undergoing cardiac surgery(external link)	Cost Neutral**
Sodium chloride(external link) oral liquid 2mmol/mL for use in babies and children as a sodium replacement	Cost Neutral**

*Withheld provisional recommendation – the applicant / supplier has requested the recommendation not be released until full record is available.

**Cost Neutral – The Committee has recommended this application be funded if the cost is neutral to the provision of the currently funded medicine(s), including the related health system costs

Summary of provisional recommendations from February 2026 PTAC meeting [PDF, 138 KB]