We are proud to be part of the newly formed Consumer and Patient Working Group, which is partnering with Pharmac to reshape how consumers are involved in decision-making.
The working group has been created to support Pharmac’s reset programme – an important step toward building greater transparency, trust, and collaboration with the communities it serves. Over the next 12 months, the group will help lay the foundations for change, contributing insight, lived experience, and practical advice.
The reset programme has three key focus areas:
- Developing a new strategic vision
- Strengthening consumer engagement and trust
- Improving processes
Our Advocacy Manager, Francesca Holloway, is representing Arthritis NZ in the group. Her role will be to ensure the voices of people with arthritis are heard and reflected as Pharmac works toward a more outward-focused and inclusive approach.
While the group will not provide advice on the funding of medicines – which is outside the reset scope – it will play an important role in shaping how Pharmac partners with consumers in the future.
The Consumer and Patient Working Group is scheduled to run until June 2026, when new governance arrangements will take over for the remaining four years of Pharmac’s wider improvement programme.
Being part of this mahi is a significant opportunity for Arthritis NZ to stand alongside other consumer voices and contribute to lasting change. We are delighted to be involved and look forward to ensuring that the experiences and perspectives of people living with arthritis continue to shape the health system in New Zealand.
“This is an important opportunity to make sure the lived experiences of people with arthritis are not only heard, but valued. By bringing consumer voices to the table, we can help shape a system that is more transparent, inclusive, and responsive to the real needs of our communities.”
