Pharmac’s role in medical devices decided within a year

NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

Contracting for medical devices will either be “all in or all out” of Pharmac within a year, says David Seymour, associate minister of health (Pharmac).

Speaking at the Medical Technology Association of NZ (MTANZ) Conference on June 24, Seymour said a decision was needed in order to give clarity to the sector.

He said the Government will provide that clarity within the next year about whether contracting for medical devices will sit with Pharmac, as currently some procurement is done by Pharmac and some by Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora.

“I am pushing as hard as possible to get to a stage within a year where you are either all in on devices and doing it well, or you are all out,” he said.

Pharmac was given responsibility for managing hospital medical devices in 2012, however a review of the agency in 2022 found the agency was “ill-placed” to coordinate the complex medical devices supply chain.

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