Pharmac: Bitter Pill or Best Medicine?

New Zealand is the only country with a drug-buying agency like
Pharmac - but how did we get here? This episode traces its
origins, and through politics and patient stories explores the
tough trade-offs at the heart of our health system.


Pharmac decides which medicines New Zealanders get and which they
don’t. It’s one of the most powerful institutions in our health
system, negotiating hard with global drug companies to save
billions. But that success comes with a trade-off: not every
life-saving treatment can be funded. So how did New Zealand end
up with a system like this? In this episode of Context, we trace
the history of Pharmac from its creation in the 1990s to the
controversial role it plays today.


Along the way, we unpack how it works: the tough negotiations,
the use of generics, and the cost-benefit decisions that can
determine who gets access to medicine. We also explore the human
side of those decisions. The cancer patients forced to go
overseas for treatment. The families campaigning for drugs that
aren’t funded. And the growing political pressure on a system
that was designed to stay independent. As new, high-cost
treatments emerge, including weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, the
stakes are only getting higher. Is Pharmac a world-leading model
that protects New Zealand’s health budget? Or a system that
leaves some patients behind? This is the story of the trade-offs
at the heart of New Zealand’s healthcare system.


Watch the video version of the episode here.


Or you can watch the full series on the RNZ website here.


Thanks to Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision.


Have a topic you'd like Corin or Guyon to explore? Send your
ideas to context@rnz.co.nz


Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details