Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee (PTAC)
PTAC is PHARMAC’s primary clinical advisory committee established under the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000, section 50 (1). PTAC's role is to provide objective clinical advice to PHARMAC.
On this page
Last updated: 4 March 2021
Revised minutes for November 2020 and November 2016 PTAC meetings added. Information about PTAC's consideration of adalimumab has been added.
About PTAC
The activities PTAC undertakes for PHARMAC are listed in the Terms of Reference for the Pharmacology and Therapeutics Committee (PTAC) and PTAC subcommittees 2016.
PTAC forms part of the whole PHARMAC process, and the particular role of PTAC is to provide objective clinical advice to assist PHARMAC in making its decisions about how to use its funds wisely.
A central part of what PTAC does is, because patients are at the centre of what PTAC talks about - we're all clinicians dealing with real patients and their families - we can bring that evidence-based perspective but also in relation to its application to real people in New Zealand.
Well, I think there's actually an emotional commitment to doing the best for New Zealanders. In terms of technical skills an ability to think critically, and have an awareness of the application of evidence, its limitations, its strengths, to the decision-making process but also to have patients at the heart of the decision making process in relation to medications.
PTAC is made up of senior health practitioners from a range of specialities, who consider clinical evidence for funding applications, and take into account PHARMAC's Factors for Consideration before making recommendations to PHARMAC.
A recommendation is not guarantee that PHARMAC will fund the medicine.
PHARMAC decides what will be funded, considering all the options for funding, to ensure we are getting the best possible health outcomes for New Zealand.
Following PTAC meetings, PHARMAC considers the funding applications using our Factors for Consideration framework, and compares and ranks them against other funding applications we have received.
Meet our advisers: What is PTAC?
PTAC members
- Mark Weatherall (Chair) - Internal Medicine - Geriatric
BA, MBChB, MApplStats, FRACP - Marius Rademaker (Deputy Chair) - Dermatologist
BM (Soton), MRCP (UK), JCHMT Accreditation, DM, FRCP (Edin), FRACP - Brian Anderson – Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine Specialist
MBChB, Dip Obst, FANZCA, FCICM, PhD - Rhiannon Braund – Clinical Pharmacist
PhD, BPharm, BSc (Biochemistry), FPS, FNZCP - Elizabeth Dennett - General Surgery - Colorectal
BMedSci, MBChB, GradDipMed, MMedSci, MAppMgt(Hlth), FRACS, FASCRS - Alan Fraser - Gastroenterologist
MBChB, MD, FRACP - Sean Hanna - General Practitioner
MBChB, FRNZCGP, FRACGP, PGDipGP, PGDipClinEd - Bruce King - Specialist Internal Medicine and Nephrology
MBChB, FRACP - Jennifer Martin - Clinical Pharmacologist
MBChB, MA(Oxon.), FRACP, PhD - Stephen Munn - Transplant Surgeon
MBChB, FRACS, FACS - Giles Newton-Howes - Psychiatrist
BA, BSc, MBChB, MRCPsych, PostDip BD, FRANZCP - Lisa Stamp - Internal Medicine and Rheumatology
MBChB, FRACP, PhD, PGCertStratLdrship - Tim Stokes - General Practitioner
MA, MBChB, MPH, PhD, FRCP, FRCGP, FRNZCGP - Matthew Strother - Medical Oncologist
MD (USA), FRACP - Jane Thomas - Paediatric Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine Specialist
MBChB, FANZCA, FFPMANZCA - Simon Wynn Thomas - General Practitioner
BMedSci (UK), MRCP (UK), MRCGP (UK), DFFP, FRNZCGP
PTAC members are appointed by the Director-General of Health, in consultation with the PHARMAC Board. This process is guided by an appointment protocol [PDF, 72 KB].
Interested senior health practitioners can apply directly or are nominated by professional medical bodies, such as the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Vacancies are posted on the PHARMAC careers page(external link).
Application information
PHARMAC’s Operating Policies and Procedures set out the procedures for making amendments to the Pharmaceutical Schedule, including PTAC’s role in the process.
When applying please ensure that the application is complete. Once the application is reviewed, PHARMAC will advise you if we need more information or if the application is not in scope for PHARMAC’s assessment.
If you are seeking funding for a specific patient, you will need to submit a Named Patient Pharmaceutical Assessment (NPPA) application.
Deadlines for PTAC meetings
If PHARMAC chooses to seek PTAC advice on a funding application, the application must have been received by the following dates to be available for consideration at one of PTAC’s four annual meetings.
Deadline for an application to be received by PHARMAC, to be considered by PTAC: |
PTAC’s meeting date: |
---|---|
9 November 2020 |
18 & 19 February 2021 |
22 February 2021 |
20 & 21 May 2021 |
24 May 2021 |
19 & 20 August 2021 |
16 August 2021 |
11 & 12 November 2021 |
PHARMAC will assess the initial funding application and notify the applicant whether:
- it will be considered by PTAC
- it will beconsidered by a PTAC subcommittee, or
- further information is required before an assessment can be made.
February 2021 PTAC meeting
Applications being reviewed at this PTAC meeting are:
- Horizon Scan: Medicinal Cannabis
- Multiple Sclerosis treatments – amending access criteria to include the 2017 McDonald criteria
- Perampanel - epilepsy
- Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine – Immunisation of people 65 years of age and over
- Rivaroxaban - the prevention of major cardiovascular events
- Upadacitinib - moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis
Records of PTAC meetings
Download the latest PTAC record - November 2020 [PDF 636 KB]
2020 PTAC Records
- PTAC Record - 2020-11 (initially published 19 February 2021 | revised edition published 4 March 2021 with adalimumab) [PDF, 672 KB]
- PTAC Record - 2020-09 (published 27 November 2020) [PDF, 355 KB]
- PTAC Record - 2020-08 (published 29 October 2020) [PDF, 509 KB]
- PTAC Record - 2020-06 (published 14 August 2020) [PDF, 191 KB]
- PTAC Record - 2020-05 (published 21 July 2020) [PDF, 303 KB]
- PTAC Record - 2020-02 (published [PDF, 588 KB]15 May 2020) [PDF, 588 KB]
More information
PTAC Terms of Reference 2016 [PDF, 834 KB]
Protocol for the appointment of PTAC members [PDF, 72 KB]
Position description for PTAC members [PDF, 124 KB]
Who to contact
If you have any questions regarding PTAC, please contact the PTAC Secretary at ptac@pharmac.govt.nz or +64 (0)4 916 7512.