Pharmac joins global health technology assessment network

Pharmac – Te Pātaka Whaioranga has joined the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA) - a network of 55 agencies from 35 countries that shares important information about the assessment of medicines and hospital medical devices.

“The pharmaceutical environment is constantly changing with a lot of new technologies, treatments, and hospital medical devices on the horizon,” says Pharmac’s Director Advice and Assessment, Dr David Hughes.

“Other agencies are tackling many of the same challenges we face so it makes sense to work with them to ensure we have the best possible information for our decision-making.”

In July 2023 Pharmac announced its involvement in another, smaller, international network, the AUS-CAN-NZ-UK Collaboration which also shares HTA knowledge and expertise.

“By joining these networks our relatively small country can access larger global insights. These collaborations are invaluable as they connect us to an outside view and provide another opportunity to check and enhance our thinking.”

Health technology assessment involves the careful review of medicines, vaccines, and devices to understand how well they work, how much they cost, and what impact they are likely to have on people's lives.

“Medicines, vaccines, and devices play a really important part in the lives and wellbeing of many New Zealanders, and Pharmac is committed to drawing on the best evidence available to provide good health outcomes for our communities,” says Dr Hughes.