Pharmac To Refresh Patient Advisory Function

Pharmac is refreshing its patient advisory function as
part of work to strengthen how patient voices and lived
experience inform its decisions.

“Pharmac’s focus
over the past year has been to make sure the voices of
patients and their families are at the heart of our
decisions,” says Pharmac Chair Paula Bennett.

As
part of this work, Pharmac’s Board decided to refresh its
patient advisory function to provide stronger input on
Pharmac’s improvement work. It will strengthen connections
between patient advocates and the Board, and ensure the
membership, role, and expectations of the advisory group are
fit for the future.

Bennett says patient and consumer
feedback, including feedback from members of the two
consumer groups, highlighted the need to reconsider the role
and structure of its consumer advisory function to ensure it
is fit for purpose.

A new Community and Patient
Advisory Committee (CPAC) will replace both the current
Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC) and Consumer and Patient
Working Group (CAPWG).

The Consumer and Patient
Working Group ran from July 2025 to June 2026 and was
specifically created to ensure that patient experiences
informed Pharmac’s 12-month Reset Programme. The Consumer
Advisory Committee was established in 2003 to provide input
to Pharmac’s Board from a consumer and patient perspective
and was disestablished on 31 July 2026.

Day-to-day
engagement on Pharmac’s work will be led by Pharmac’s
new Consumer Relations team, working directly with consumer
and patient advocates on specific issues.

“Together,
these changes mean we can hear from people earlier and more
often, so their experiences will shape our work from the
start,” Bennett says.

An interim Consumer Advisory
Committee will advise on the development and establishment
of the CPAC, including its terms of reference, engagement
approach, and implementation arrangements.

The interim
advisory group will run for up to six months from August 1,
with membership from Pharmac’s two existing consumer
advisory groups.

The CAC members joining the committee
are Georgina Johnson (co-chair), LJ Apaipo, Pui-yi Cheng,
and the CAP members joining are Dr Malcolm Mulholland
(co-chair), Tim Edmonds, Chris Higgins, and Tracy
Tierney.

Georgina Johnson says the refreshed committee
is an opportunity to strengthen the role of consumer voices
in Pharmac’s work.

“This is a chance to build on
the foundations of consumer involvement at Pharmac and
ensure patient and whānau voices are heard earlier, more
clearly, and with a stronger connection to the Board and
decision-making.”

Dr Malcolm Mulholland says that it
is encouraging to see Pharmac strengthening its commitment
to consumer engagement.

“Over the past year, we’ve
seen the value of bringing lived experience into Pharmac’s
improvement work. The new approach creates an opportunity
for patient voices to continue shaping change and will help
ensure Pharmac remains connected to the communities it
serves.”

Pharmac will begin recruiting members for
the new Community and Patient Advisory Committee (CPAC) in
October, with the committee expected to be established in
the New Year.

To find out more or register your
interest, email cac@pharmac.govt.nz.

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