The ACT party has called for Pharmac to take a “productivity focus” to decisions on who gets funded medicine.
The policy was discussed on Q+A with Jack Tame by new candidate Todd Stephenson, who has recently returned to New Zealand and will be number 4 on ACT’s list.
Stephenson has spent more than a decade working for the pharmaceutical industry in Australia, along with stints in governance and advocacy roles.
An independent review of Pharmac is one of ACT’s major priorities in health, and Stephenson believes things need to change with the organisation.
“I think what Kiwis are frustrated about, and we’ve seen it actually this week with a bunch of patient groups talking about the delay and why medicines are not available in New Zealand like they are in Australia, is that it’s not a very transparent organisation,” said Stephenson.
“It doesn’t involve its stakeholders early enough in the decision-making process, people don’t understand how it reaches some of its decisions, and I think it could do a lot better of actually engaging with its stakeholders in the first instance.”
ACT candidate Todd Stephenson joins Q+A to talk about his history in the pharmaceutical industry, and how ACT would reform Pharmac (Source: 1News)
Stephenson said decisions about what medicines to fund should continue to be made by experts rather than politicians, but that politicians should update the policy framework Pharmac works under.
“Pharmac’s policy framework needs to be updated. It hasn’t been reviewed in a very long time,” said Stephenson.
He also thinks Pharmac needs to evolve alongside the evolution of medical technology.
“A lot of the treatments and the innovations being brought forward can actually deliver economic benefits because you’re treating people who can work longer or go back to work when that wasn’t possible.”
“It would be good to be able to take a more holistic approach to what these treatments are bringing.”
When asked if that meant more economically productive people should be prioritised for treatment, Stephenson said: “Not necessarily, but when you’re looking at the value of these treatments, that should be taken into consideration.”
“If your treatment can return someone to work faster, how does that benefit the whole of society? And then those bodies that are making those value judgements can decide whether that should be put into the equation.”
“Then you can make the case for investing in some of these treatments earlier.”
ACT’s policy is not to put more money towards Pharmac, though Stephenson said his party’s plan is to grow the economy to make more money available for priorities.
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