Associate Health Minister, David Seymour says Pharmac’s Reset Programme is on track, with the completion of first 90-day action plan.
The Minister said 90-day plans promote transparency and accountability. They are part of the first 12-month phase of Pharmac’s five-year Reset Programme, developed in response to a series of external reviews.
“For many New Zealanders, funding for pharmaceuticals is life or death, or the difference between a life of pain and suffering or living freely,” Mr Seymour says.
“My expectation is that Pharmac should have strong processes so patients, their families, and clinicians, can have a say in decisions. This is part of the ACT-National Coalition Agreement.”
In November last year, Pharmac hosted the Consumer Engagement Workshops where patients and advocates voiced their hopes at resetting the patient – Pharmac relationship.
Pharmac listened and developed a plan to achieve this, said Mr Seymour.
“Following the report Pharmac invited workshop participants, in association with the wider consumer-patient representative community, to select a working group. Dr Malcolm Mulholland was selected as the chair. The Consumer and Patient Working Group has been set up for the initial 12-month phase of the Reset Programme,” he said.
“The Working Group provides insight, lived experience, and practical advice to ensure the Pharmac Reset Programme is designed in a way that reflects the needs, values, and perspectives of consumers. This first phase will lay the foundation for a more transparent, outward focused, and collaborative organisation and support the wider culture reset of Pharmac.”
The first 90-day plan, which ran from 1 July to 30 September 2025, saw key actions completed including:
- Appointing a 10-member Consumer and Patient Working Group chaired by patient advocate Dr Malcolm Mulholland.
- Developing a consumer advocate database has been developed and populated with support from the Working Group, representing a diverse range of health conditions and communities with high health needs. This will support ongoing engagement with consumers and patients.
- Finding ways to better reflect patient impact in Pharmac’s data to strengthen future Budget bids, including by releasing Budget 2025/26 information proactively to support informed consumer input and advice.
- Published an update on its progress in responding to the 2022 Pharmac Review recommendations, providing greater clarity for patients.
“The Working Group has played a key role in supporting the delivery of these actions by providing advice and contributing to implementation. Their work complements the strategic advice provided by Pharmac’s Consumer Advisory Committee,” Mr Seymour says.
“We’ve already got some runs on the board in this first quarter, and next we’ll be diving into the processes that matter most to consumers and patients. Pharmac’s work is vitally important, and our focus is on helping the organisation to work as well as it can,” says Dr Mulholland.
One additional action is currently in progress:
- Pharmac is expanding its engagement function to include dedicated relationship managers who will build and maintain relationships with key consumer and patient groups.
Work is already underway on the next 90-day action plan, which includes:
- Developing guidelines on when and how to consult with patients regarding funding decisions, brand changes, supply issues, or strategic initiatives.
- Agreeing on the best approach and developing resources to support this to incorporate patient voices and lived experiences in clinical meetings.
- Creating a joined-up communications planning approach with patient groups and agreeing on a framework for patient storytelling.
- Partnering with consumers to identify short-term and long-term improvements to the medicine application funding process.
- Continuing work to create a new future-focused and inclusive vision and strategy that reflects the needs and aspirations of staff, consumers, and other stakeholders.
“The Government is doing its part. Last year we allocated Pharmac its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, and a $604 million uplift to give Pharmac the financial support it needs to carry out its functions – negotiating the best deals for medicine for New Zealanders,” Mr Seymour says.
The full report can be found here: https://www.pharmac.govt.nz/about/reset-programme/reset-programme-progress-report.
