4703 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health

4703 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health: Following the Ministry of Health’s move in 2020 from a compliance-based to partnership-based approach to monitoring Pharmac, what progress, if any, has been made in the last quarter (September to December 2023) in ‘providing direction on key areas of focus, including Māori health and equity’ as discussed on page 39 of the Pharmac review final report?

Hon David Seymour: I am advised that in the last quarter (September to December 2023), the Ministry of Health continued to provide direction on key areas of focus, including Māori health and equity, as questions, issues or opportunities arose, to supplement the direction provided through the accountability cycle at other times of the year. Particular areas of work for Pharmac during the quarter included work on its equity policy; on addressing the under-representation of Māori on its advisory committees; and on developing medicines access equity measures with the Heath Quality and Safety Commission.