Proposal to list medical devices supplied by Universal Specialities Limited

What we’re proposing

Consultation closes at 4pm Thursday 10 March 2022 and feedback can be emailed to georgia.cassidy@pharmac.govt.nz.

What would the effect be?

From 1 May 2022, USL’s range of medical devices in the categories noted above would be listed under a national agreement for all DHBs to purchase under, subject to consultation and approval by Pharmac’s Board or delegate (“Agreement”).

The Agreement would not be for sole supply, with DHBs continuing to be able to purchase other suppliers’ brands of infusion equipment and associated devices and non-dedicated and consumable infusion devices (“Infusion Devices”) and point of care testing consumables and devices.

The Agreement would supersede any existing DHB contracts with this supplier for the medical devices listed in Schedule 1 in the Agreement. Any device listed in the Pharmac Agreement and purchased by a DHB would be at the price, terms and conditions stated in the Agreement, effective from the date of listing on the Pharmaceutical Schedule.

As part of the Agreement, USL would provide appropriate training and education services that would be tailored to the needs of the individuals DHBs, in formats and at times as required by DHBs.

Pricing for the medical devices in the Agreement, subject to any prior termination of the Agreement, would not be increased without prior consultation and approval by Pharmac.

Who we think will be interested

• DHB clinical staff in a range of different clinical settings including but not limited to:
  
  • Anaesthetists
  • Clinical Engineers and maintenance services
  • Clinical Product Evaluators
  • Clinicians
  • ICU, emergency, and critical care staff
  • Infection control staff
  • General medical ward staff
  • Laboratory staff
  • Nurses
  • Nursing assistants
  • Oncologists
  • Perioperative staff
  • Point of Care Testing Coordinators
  • Point of Care Specialists
  • Procurement Officers and supply chain personnel
  • Surgeons
• Suppliers and wholesalers

About the medical devices

Infusion devices

Infusion devices are medical devices used, or associated with devices used, in the infusion of fluids such as medications, intravenous solutions (such as saline, glucose, and electrolyte solutions), blood, total parenteral nutrition (TPN) solutions into the body. This includes medical devices used in intravenous therapy as well as other infusion therapies.

PHARMAC’s infusion devices category includes:

• non-dedicated and consumable infusion devices not associated with infusion equipment; and

• infusion equipment and associated devices.

Point of care testing equipment and consumables

Point of care testing is the analysis of clinical specimens to provide medical laboratory test results near to the patient or at the site of patient care. Point of care testing may be performed by multiple users including but not limited to clinical staff. It has an important role in providing a rapid test result near to the patient which can be used for diagnosis or monitoring a treatment response and may be acted upon quickly to provide effective, quality patient care.

Why we’re proposing this

In 2018 PHARMAC issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for:

• supply of infusion devices (including non-dedicated and consumable infusion devices and infusion equipment and associated devices)

In 2021 Pharmac issued a Registration of Interest (“ROI”) for:

• supply of medical devices where New Zealand Health Partnerships ("NZHP") has previously released RFP processes from suppliers for listing on the Pharmaceutical Schedule: Point of Care testing

The RFP and ROI were for non-exclusive national agreements for listing on the Pharmaceutical Schedule.

The ROI invited registrations of interest for the supply of medical devices where New Zealand Health Partnerships ("NZHP") has previously released RFP processes from suppliers for listing on the Pharmaceutical Schedule.

Pharmac has been working with suppliers to seek provisional agreements and this is the latest proposal to arise from those processes. We intend to consult on further provisional agreements with other suppliers in each of the categories over the coming months.

Details about our proposal

Pharmac has entered into a provisional agreement with USL for the supply of infusion devices and point of care testing consumables and devices.

The proposal would result in Pharmaceutical Schedule listings for 127 medical devices as follows:

Further information, including pricing and contractual details, has been provided to DHB procurement personnel. Clinicians interested in further detail on what this change means for their DHB should engage with their procurement teams.

To provide feedback

Send us an email: georgia.cassidy@pharmac.govt.nz by 4pm Thursday 10 March 2022.

All feedback received before the closing date will be considered by PHARMAC’s Board (or its delegate) prior to making a decision on this proposal.

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