Pharmac's strategic goals sit within the broader health and disability sector. Our work contributes to the Government's vision of pae ora (healthy futures) for New Zealanders.
Our vision
He Rongoā Pai, He Ahu Pae Ora
Through our work with medicines, vaccines, medical devices, and related products, we will build on our existing foundations and work together towards a future of health and wellbeing for our whānau.
Tēnā koutou katoa ko Trevor Simpson toku ingoa I'm the Kaituruki Director Māori at Te Pātaka Whaioranga - Pharmac
I'm here today to talk to you about Pharmac's vision; He Rongoā Pai, He Ahu Pae Ora.
The vision is broken up into five key facets. The first one is about our whakapapa and history. Secondly, we'll touch on how our vision correlates to Māori world views. The third aspect is around our core work and our priorities how that fits into this vision. Fourthly, we have ngā uaratanga o Te Pātaka o Whaioranga - that's our values and how they are interlinked into this particular vision and also our work in Pae Ora, which is why we're all here across the health system to work together to achieve pae ora itself.
So, He Rongoā Pai, the first part of our vision, is directly related to some of the work we've done in the past - that is around rongoā itself. So what we know with the word rongoā is that it's medicines and devices, broadly speaking, that are all derived from the natural environment in which we all find ourselves. So on that basis we know that from a Māori conceptualization that all of our medicines and devices are somehow drawn from the things that we have in nature. Weaving in the whakapapa and the mauri and the history of this organisation in a way that pays homage to those who have come before us, the work that they've done for this organisation, and building up to what we see ourselves as right now in this very important context that we find ourselves in. We have the second part of the vision which is, He Ahu Pae Ora. What we have in there is a very important word ahu. So ahu can be broadly broken into two distinct pieces in terms of what it means in te reo Māori. The word ahu can mean moving in a particular direction, pointing in a particular direction, moving forward, moving towards something. Another meaning of ahu is drawn from Māori creation mythology and that speaks of the deity of Hineahuone, the first human being and her relationship with Tane Mahuta, the god of the forest, and the story that tells us about how we are all derived genealogically from those two deities. And so Hineahuone is not only the first woman created but also the very first human being from whom we all come. Another important facet around the word ahu is the word ahurewa. An ahurewa is an expert in something, someone who leads from the front, who decides the, the direction of travel for the rest of the group. These people were often tohunga, or people with specific expertise but they also had knowledge and information that everybody needed in order to be led in the right direction. This touches on some of the things we do within this organisation which is around sourcing expertise, working together to figure out together what's the best way forward. The next part is around ngā uaratanga o Te Pātaka Whaioranga - Pharmac.
Those are our values and as we know the values set the foundations for not only the work we do but how we should do it. And they're very specific and we've ensured that those values are specifically woven into, at least broadly, into the context of this vision that we now have in front of us. So we're all here doing our work because of the Pae Ora Act, that is the Healthy Futures Act of 2022. As we all know, all of the work that we're doing in the health system is drawn from that particular document - no less so for Te Pātaka Whaioranga - Pharmac. What it asks us to do is work in a more integrated way with the rest of the system. And in doing so we play our very important part in the provision of medicines and devices upon which some of the drivers within the health sector depend. So, with that in mind, we're here with the rest of the system to work towards health and well-being for everybody who lives in this country. So our vision very much draws on the idea of navigation and so what we did in terms of forming the vision, as well as the values, is that we were really - use a metaphor - preparing our waka - you know - our sea fairing vessel, to make it seaworthy but also to enable us to move in a certain direction with confidence. And just to remind everybody our vision for Te Pātaka Whaioranga - Pharmac is He Rongoā Pai, He Ahu Pae Ora
Our mandate
Our mandate remains the same:
To secure the best health outcomes that are reasonably achievable from pharmaceutical treatment and from within the amount of funding provided.
Our strategic priorities
We are focusing our efforts to make the biggest impact to the health sector outcomes. Our three strategic priorities are:
Strategic management of the Combined Pharmaceutical Budget
There are significant opportunities to better plan and manage the Budget over a mediumterm horizon to ensure that we achieve the best health outcomes and health equity for New Zealanders from medicines, vaccines, and related products, while staying within the fixed budget set by Government.
Enhanced assessment & decision-making
Making improvements to ensure that we make high-quality, evidence-based, and timely funding decisions that achieve equitable health outcomes. We need clear and consistent processes for assessment and decision making, including clarity of how equity considerations and te Tiriti are embedded throughout our work.
Strategic management of medical devices
We have built strong foundations for medical device contracting and procurement. With our sector partners there are significant opportunities to maximise health benefits to New Zealanders by implementing an integrated approach to hospital medical devices, which drives better value and more consistent and equitable access.
We intend te Tiriti o Waitangi, health equity, and collaboration and engagement to be key components of Pharmac’s activities and initiatives. Underpinned by organisational excellence, they are integral to everything that we do.
The following image outlines our strategic priorities and the key factors that are part of our work.
Alignment with the sector
We are a vital part of the broader health and disability sector. Our work aligns with the principles and outcomes of the health and disability sector.
Pae ora health sector principles
The health sector should:
be equitable, including equitable outcomes for Māori
engage with Māori, population groups, and others to reflect their needs and aspirations
provide opportunities for Māori to exercise decision-making authority
provide choice of quality services to Māori and other population groups
protect and promote people’s health and wellbeing.
Health Sector Outcomes
The Interim Government Policy Statement wants a health and disability sector that is:
embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi across the system
laying the foundations for the success of the system
keeping people well and independent in their communities
achieving equity in health outcomes
developing the workforce of the future
ensuring a financially stable health system
Our framework demonstrates how each principle, outcome, priority and value make up our strategic framework.
