Posted by Michael Wonder on 07 Mar 2021
PHARMAC does a great job, but it's losing the PR battle hands down
6 March 2021 - With each major change of government in recent years, PHARMAC has been required either to list a particular drug (Herceptin under National), or undergo a review (the current government), or both a new listing (Interferon) and a review (in the early 2000s).
This degree of scrutiny speaks to the sensitive and contested area the agency occupies. As an agent of government it makes inherently controversial decisions (with life-and-death consequences in some instances), but at arm’s length from the political process.
