Source: PHARMAC
Each year, we invite pharmaceutical companies to bid to be the main supplier of medicines that are no longer under patents, which means different companies can supply them. These changes allow us to free up between $30 million and $50 million annually, which can be reinvested into funding more medicines.
In 2025, Pharmac invited suppliers to bid to supply over 400-line items. A line item refers to a single presentation of a medicine, for example, omeprazole (a medicine for gastric issues) can be in the form of 10 mg, 20 mg and 40 mg or three separate line items. We estimate around one third of these 400-line items could change because of the annual tender.
Director Equity and Engagement, Dr Nicola Ngawati says the annual tender was a good opportunity for Pharmac’s newly established Consumer Relations team to support relationships and gather important feedback.
“Bringing groups together early to talk through the real-life impacts of proposed changes, and what collaboration is needed if brands change, is exactly what we need to be doing,” says Dr Ngawati.
“Pharmac staff met with over 30 consumer and patient groups, both in person and online, representing a wide range of health needs including mental health, heart conditions, arthritis, rare disorders, diabetes, respiratory conditions and several types of cancer.”
In addition to these conversations a public consultation on the proposed brand changes was released in April. Pharmac received 36 responses from suppliers, healthcare professionals and professional bodies, consumer advocacy groups, and the public.
Reflecting on what we heard, Dr Ngawati says, “We know that brand changes can be challenging for some people. Talking to consumer groups and consulting widely gives people an opportunity to share their experiences and tell us what matters to them”.
A strong theme of the feedback was that a change in how a medicine looks (for example, size, colour and shape) can cause confusion and distress. Packaging changes can also impact confidence and how people use their medicines.
“For some communities, the ‘possibility’ of change is unsettling. Many told us they really valued this early consultation and conversation. People would also like advance notice and a clear transition period that’s supported by upfront, plain language communication.”
Pharmac is now working through all the feedback received before finalising recommendations around which brands will change. We will publicly announce any brand changes resulting from the tender as they are implemented.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/06/24/how-personal-experience-impacts-medicines-decisions/