How clinicians shape our decisions

Front line of health care

These are the people on the front line of New Zealand’s health care – our doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other specialists – who have first-hand knowledge of treating health conditions.

“All our decisions are underpinned by expert clinical advice and this is such an important part of the funding process,” says Jared Solloway, Senior Therapeutic Group Manager.

We draw on their expertise through our network of clinical advisory committees, our ongoing relationships with clinician groups, and through the feedback they provide on our public consultations.

“It’s so important to us that we have good relationships with clinicians right around the country. Health care professionals with lived experiences of providing these treatments to patients and expertise in highly specialised areas give us invaluable insight,” Solloway says. 

Making better decisions together

In October 2024, Pharmac announced that the medicine cetuximab (branded as Erbitux) would be funded for a particular type of bowel cancer.

Before this decision was made, during our consultation process on our proposal to fund cetuximab, we received detailed feedback from advocacy groups, clinicians, and members of the public.

Overall, the feedback supported what Pharmac was proposing but clinicians who treat people with colorectal cancers told us we should consider removing our proposed requirement that cetuximab needs to be used alongside chemotherapy. After considering this feedback, Pharmac decided to change the access criteria and this requirement was removed.

“Clinicians understand how best to treat their patients, who is in greatest need, and how a medicine will be used in practice,” Solloway says.

Dr Vanessa Durandt, Medical Oncologist and Chair of Gastroenterologists Special Interest Group, says gastroenterologist specialists wanted the option of using cetuximab on its own. In their experience, chemotherapy was not suitable for every patient and frail or elderly patients were often unable to tolerate chemotherapy.  

Durandt says that by working with Pharmac, people who may have missed out but could still benefit will now be able to access cetuximab.  

“We really appreciated the chance to have a look at this and say from our experience with our patients, and what we know, we can recommend giving cetuximab on its own,” she says.  

“Pharmac was responsive to our feedback, they sat down and talked through our concerns with us, took it on board, and this was reflected in the updated access criteria.

“Patients I work with tell me that those few extra months can make all the difference. One patient said, ‘I just want to get to my daughter’s wedding’ – it’s those important milestones in life, that you want to get to – and we forget just how important that can be,” she says.