The Government has issued a new Letter of Expectations to Pharmac, directing the medicines funding agency to build on recent progress by delivering faster access to medicines, improving efficiency and strengthening relationships with patients, clinicians and the wider health sector.
Associate Health Minister David Seymour said the expectations for 2026 are designed to keep Pharmac moving on an upward trajectory following recent increases in funding and a series of organisational reforms. The latest direction builds on the previous year’s expectations, with a continued focus on ensuring New Zealanders receive timely access to medicines and medical technologies while making the best use of public funding.
The Government wants Pharmac to continue improving the speed of decision-making, increase transparency around funding decisions, strengthen engagement with consumers and clinicians, and use technology to modernise its systems and processes. The agency is also expected to continue delivering value for money while negotiating better outcomes for patients.
The expectations follow significant investment in Pharmac over the past two years, including record funding increases and additional Budget 2026 support aimed at expanding access to medicines and responding to growing demand across the health system.
The Government has pointed to Pharmac’s recent progress in funding more medicines, improving consumer engagement and advancing its five-year reset programme as evidence that the organisation is heading in the right direction. Recent initiatives have included expanding medicine access, increasing consultation with patient groups and broadening access to pharmacy services.
The latest expectations reinforce the Government’s objective of making Pharmac more responsive while maintaining its role as New Zealand’s independent agency responsible for assessing and funding medicines based on evidence, clinical effectiveness and value for money.
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