Advisory groups and Pacific heritage

OIA response

Thank you for your request dated 19 September 2025 under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) for information relating to Pharmac advisory groups and Pacific heritage data. Please find the full text of your request attached to this letter.

Please find information regarding Pharmac's advisory groups, Pacific representation, clinical roles, senior leadership team, and other roles dedicated to Pacific people and health.

Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee (PTAC)

PTAC provides objective clinical advice to help Pharmac make decisions about how to use its funds wisely. It critically evaluates the strength and quality of evidence for funding applications, applying this rigorously and consistently across all clinical areas. Members are senior health practitioners from a range of specialties, who bring both evidence-based and patient-centered perspectives.

Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee

Specialist Advisory Committees

These committees offer specialist knowledge in specific clinical areas such as diabetes, cancer, and mental health. They meet as needed and provide complementary advice to PTAC.

  • Members are appointed by the Pharmac Board and are not Pharmac employees. But we do pay for their travel and time.
  • Prior to November 2021, these were known as Subcommittees.

List of Committees:

  • Analgesic Advisory Committee
  • Anti-infectives Advisory Committee
  • Cancer Treatments Advisory Committee
  • Cardiovascular Advisory Committee / PAH Panel
  • Dermatology Advisory Committee
  • Diabetes Advisory Committee
  • Endocrinology Advisory Committee
  • Gastrointestinal Advisory Committee
  • Haematology Advisory Committee
  • Immunisation Advisory Committee
  • Mental Health Advisory Committee
  • Nephrology Advisory Committee
  • Neurological Advisory Committee
  • Ophthalmology Advisory Committee
  • Rare Disorders Advisory Committee
  • Reproductive and Sexual Health Advisory Committee
  • Respiratory Advisory Committee
  • Rheumatology Advisory Committee
  • Special Foods Advisory Committee
  • Transplant Immunosuppressant Advisory Committee
  • COVID-19 Advisory Group (disestablished 2024)

Specialist Advisory Committees

Advisory groups

Advisory groups give targeted advice on specific issues. 

List of Advisory Groups:

  • Interim Medical Devices Advisory Group
  • Interventional Radiology Advisory Group
  • Interventional Cardiology Advisory Group
  • Personal Protective Equipment Advisory Group
  • Renal Dialysis Advisory Group

Advisory Groups

Number of Pacific Heritage members – Advisory groups (2021-2025)

Please note that information on a person’s heritage is voluntary information. Our records currently indicate the following:

Pacific: 2

Other / Prefer not to say / Leave blank: 34

  • One Pacific member joined the Analgesic Specialist Advisory Committee in April 2022.
  • One Pacific consumer member joined in January 2023. The consumer member is considered a member of all Specialist Advisory Committees, except:
    • Cancer Treatments Advisory Committee
    • PTAC
    • Medical Devices Advisory Groups

Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC)

  • The Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC) provides Pharmac with input from a consumer point of view. 

Consumer Advisory Committee

Consumer members Pacific Heritage (2021-2025)

  • Since September 2021 to September 2025, Pharmac has had three consumer members on the Consumer Advisory Committee.
    • Member 1 (August 2020 – October 2024)
    • Member 2 (August 2021 – April 2025)
    • Member 3 (November 2024 – current)

Senior Leadership Team roles

Pharmac is structured into seven directorates, each led by a member of the SLT. The roles are:

  • Chief Executive
  • Chief Advisor Māori
  • Director, Advice and Assessment (also Chief Medical Officer)
  • Director, Medical Devices
  • Director, Equity and Engagement
  • Director, Pharmaceuticals
  • Director, Strategy, Policy, and Performance
  • Director, Corporate Services and Financial Services

Senior Leadership Team

Senior Leadership Team Pacific Heritage (2021-2025)

No SLT members over this period have disclosed this information.

Clinical Roles Dedicated to Pacific Health

Pharmac has not had any specific clinical roles of this nature.

Other Roles Dedicated to Pacific Health (2021-2025)

Pharmac had one role since 2021 dedicated to Pacific Health. Principal Advisor - Pacific Health. The person in the role identified as New Zealand Samoan.

We trust that this information answers your queries. Please note, you have the right to make a complaint to the Ombudsman about our response to your OIA, under section 28(3) of the OIA. Details of how to make a complaint(external link) are on the Ombudsman’s website.

To make information more freely available, we publish selected OIA responses (excluding personal details) on our website. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions about this.