Hospital Medical Devices Programme

What are hospital medical devices?

The term "hospital medical devices" describes a wide variety of products used in health care – everything from cotton swabs to home dialysis machines. They can improve health outcomes, enable less invasive treatments and help diagnose, monitor, treat, modify, prevent, or support health needs.

Pharmac’s work covers medical devices used by Health New Zealand in its hospitals and specialist services for people to use at home.

Our hospital medical devices work does not include medical devices used in primary care settings (such as ones given by GPs) or those used by private providers – including non-government organisations (such as hospices and residential care facilities).

How do medical devices play a critical role in health?

Medical devices play a critical role in supporting patient care, improving the health and safety of the people who use them, and enabling health care delivery. Medical devices matter to us because they are used in clinical pathways throughout the health system and are key for improved health outcomes for patients.

What’s Pharmac’s vision for hospital medical devices?

Pharmac is helping develop a future health system that is more streamlined and coordinated. One that delivers better, more consistent care, and empowers all New Zealanders to live longer, healthier lives and have the best possible quality of life. 

Our medical devices work will help to manage New Zealand’s spending on hospital medical devices. This will free up funding in hospitals for reinvestment in services and new technologies.

We are also working to deliver our minister’s expectations to further improve health outcomes and drive value for the health and disability system. We will do this by:

• optimising our role in health technology assessment and procurement to deliver innovation and access to new medical technologies
• partnering with Health NZ and other agencies to develop a clearer, more integrated national approach to hospital medical device management. This supports better health outcomes and strengthens health system-wide collaboration.
• building productive partnerships with government and non-government stakeholders like clinicians and hospital staff, consumers and medical device suppliers.

How are we building a smarter future for hospital medical devices?

Pharmac has built a strong foundation for the strategic management of hospital medical devices by negotiating national contracts and compiling the Hospital Medical Devices List – New Zealand’s first comprehensive national list of medical devices used in public hospitals. This will support better patient care and long-term investments in devices.

In collaboration with our system partners, we will continue to improve management of medical devices to deliver additional value for all New Zealanders.

What are the roles of Pharmac and other key agencies in medical devices?

Pharmac | Te Pātaka Whaioranga

Pharmac contributes to the improved wellbeing and quality of life for New Zealanders.  Our work drives better value, more consistent and equitable access, and better health outcomes from the medical devices used in public hospitals.

We have built a strong foundation for the strategic management of hospital medical devices by negotiating national contracts and compiling the Hospital Medical Devices List; New Zealand’s first comprehensive national list of medical devices used in public hospitals to support better patient care and long-term investments in devices.

Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora

Health NZ manages all health services, including hospital and specialist services, and primary and community care. It weaves the functions of the 20 former District Health Boards (DHBs) into its regional divisions and district offices, ensuring continuity of services in the health system. Health NZ currently funds hospital medical devices.

Health NZ - What we do(external link)

Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora

The Ministry of Health has a key role in administering, implementing, and enforcing legislation, and regulations.  

The Ministry is working on the Medical Products Bill which proposes modern, risk-proportionate regulation of medicines and medical devices in New Zealand.

Regulation and legislation | Ministry of Health website(external link)

Medsafe

Medsafe has a role in the regulation of medical devices in New Zealand.

Medical devices - Medsafe(external link)

Who to contact

If you have questions about our hospital medical devices work programme, email devices@pharmac.govt.nz