Media release from PHARMAC

Consistent national access to medicines for patients and more effective use of DHB funding will be the aims of PHARMAC's involvement in funding hospital medicines and medical devices, Chief Executive Matthew Brougham says.

PHARMAC welcomes the wider role outlined today by Health Minister Tony Ryall, Matthew Brougham says.

To date PHARMAC's role has mainly been deciding which medicines to fund in the community. At the same time, PHARMAC has been negotiating some national pharmaceutical contracts for DHB hospitals as well as pharmaceutical cancer treatments.

"So we already have some knowledge of the hospital sector which is a good basis to start from," says Matthew Brougham.

"We do, however, want to take a careful approach to ensure decisions on these medicines take into account the different context in which hospital medicines are used, and the views of hospital clinicians are heard and considered.

"At present we have no set view on how to achieve the aims sought by this change, which is why we will be taking a consultative approach over several years, asking clinicians for their views on how best to proceed, and continuing to consult as we approach each decision."

"We want to ensure we work alongside clinicians who are prescribing medicines as we aim to secure greater consistency in access regardless of where people live, and good deals for DHBs and the taxpayer."