Agreement with 3M New Zealand Limited for the Supply of Wound Care Products
PHARMAC is pleased to announce the approval of an agreement with 3M New Zealand Limited (“3M”) for the supply of wound care products.
This was the subject of a consultation letter dated 24 February 2014.
In summary, the effect of the decision is that:
- A range of 3M’s wound care products will be listed in Section H, Part III, (‘Optional Pharmaceuticals’) of the Pharmaceutical Schedule from 1 April 2014.
- DHB hospitals can purchase these items either directly from 3M or through a designated third party logistics provider under the national agreement.
- For the DHBs that currently use these products the national agreement will deliver savings.
Details of the decision
Following a Registration of Interest document issued in August 2013, PHARMAC has entered into an agreement with 3M for the supply of a selection of wound care products to be listed on the Pharmaceutical Schedule. This means that DHB hospitals may purchase these products under the national agreement at the new pricing.
The list of products is available on PHARMAC’s website, in both a pdf document and an excel spreadsheet.
There are estimated savings to DHBs that currently use these products of approximately $280,000 per annum nationally, based on current usage.
The agreement is not exclusive. DHBs can continue to purchase other brands of wound care products at their discretion.
Educational services including a comprehensive range of product and topic related online e3 learning modules, a website that enhances clinician resources on 3M’s range of products, educational workshops held throughout the year that covers a range of topics, and education in-servicing tailored to meets the needs of metropolitan and regional DHB Hospitals as required.
Feedback received
PHARMAC appreciates all of the feedback that it has received and acknowledge the time people took to respond. All consultation responses received by 12 March 2014 were considered in their entirety in making a decision on the proposed changes. Most responses were supportive of the proposal, and the following issues were raised in relation to specific aspects of the proposal:
| Theme | Comment |
|---|---|
| It was recommended that PHARMAC obtain confirmation from 3M that all products have been notified via the WAND database, have regulatory approval in an overseas jurisdiction and ensure all products have been accurately categorised. | 3M provided WAND reference details as part of its response to PHARMAC’s Registration of Interest. |
More information
If you have any questions about this decision, you can email PHARMAC at enquiry@pharmac.govt.nz or call our toll free number (9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday) on 0800 66 00 50.