Proposal to list anaesthesia small equipment and consumable devices

Hospital devices Consultation Closed

PHARMAC is seeking feedback on a proposal to list a range of Anaesthesia Small Equipment and Consumable devices in Part III of Section H of the Pharmaceutical Schedule from 1 February 2018.

What we’re proposing

We propose to list a range of Anaesthesia Small Equipment and Consumable devices (“Anaesthesia Products”) supplied by:  

  • W M Bamford & Co Limited (“WM Bamford”)
  • Obex Medical Limited (“Obex”)
  • Universal Specialties Limited (“USL”)
  • Device Technologies New Zealand Limited (“Device Technologies”)
  • Jackson Allison Medical & Surgical Limited (“Jackson Allison”)

Consultation closes at 5pm on Wednesday, 20 December 2017 and feedback can be emailed to jacquie.pillay@pharmac.govt.nz.

What would the effect be?

For DHBs

From 1 February 2018, WM Bamford, Obex, USL, Device Technologies and Jackson Allison’s ranges of Anaesthesia Products would fall under five proposed national agreements (“Agreements”) that all DHBs may purchase under. Listing on the Pharmaceutical Schedule would be conditional on the approval of PHARMAC’s Board or its delegate. These Agreements would not be for sole supply, with DHBs continuing to be able to purchase other suppliers’ brands of Anaesthesia Products.

These Agreements would supersede any existing DHB contracts with these suppliers for the devices listed in the Schedule One of these Agreements.  Any device listed in a 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.

PHARMAC estimates that the WM Bamford, Obex, USL and Device Technologies Agreements would offer national savings to DHBs, of $3,300, $178,000, $36,500 and $52,000 per annum respectively, based on current usage. The Jackson Allison proposal would result in a national spend increase to DHBs of $4,300, based on current usage.

All of these companies have some products that are new to New Zealand DHBs and the Agreements would provide an increased range of Anaesthesia Products from which clinicians could choose.

As a part of the Agreements all of these companies would provide educational services that would be tailored to the individual needs of DHB hospitals, in formats and at times as required by DHB Hospitals.

Pricing for Anaesthesia Products, subject to any prior termination of the Agreements, would not be increased without prior consultation and approval by PHARMAC.

Who we think will be interested

  • Suppliers and Wholesalers
  • DHB Staff
    • Clinical Engineers
    • Anaesthetists
    • Anaesthetic Technicians
    • Clinical staff involved with airway management and emergency respiratory resuscitation
    • Procurement Officers

About the anaesthesia products category

The scope of the Anaesthesia Products category was defined as:

  • Airway visualisation devices and associated consumables
  • Stand-alone depth of anaesthesia monitoring systems and associated consumables
  • Consumable medical devices used for the purpose of:
    • Acute airway management
    • Anaesthesia gas delivery

Consumable medical devices included both single use items and defined-life multiple use items.

These devices are integral to the delivery of anaesthesia and are ubiquitous supplies in all DHB operating theatres. Some of these devices are also used for airway management and emergency respiratory resuscitation and as such may also be used by clinicians other than anaesthetists.

Why we’re proposing this

In March 2017 PHARMAC issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for anaesthesia products. The RFP was for non-exclusive national agreements for listing on the Pharmaceutical Schedule.

PHARMAC has been working with suppliers to seek provisional agreements and these five proposals are the first to arise from this process. We intend to consult on proposed agreements with other suppliers over the next few months.

Details about our proposal

PHARMAC has entered into individual provisional agreements WM Bamford, Obex, USL, Device Technologies and Jackson Allison for a range of Anaesthesia Products. The full product ranges and pricing in these proposals have not been included in this consultation for brevity, however we are making it available to appropriate DHB personnel.

This proposal would result in Pharmaceutical Schedule listings for 83 products from WM Bamford, 319 products from Obex, 282 products from USL, 186 products from Device Technologies and 393 products from Jackson Allison. Brand ranges in the agreements include: 

Supplier

Brands

WM Bamford

Ventrain, P3 Medical, Bamford, and Heine.

Obex  

Sunmed, Carefusion, Medasil, MDH, Parker, Cook Medical, Mercury Medical, Hospitech, Pall Medical, and Vyaire.

Device Technologies

Flexicare, Brite Blade Pro, Brite Solo, PRO-Breathe, and Pharma Filter.

USL

Welch Allyn, Portex, QTube, QSeries, and Inspired Medical

Jackson Allison

VBM, Pennine Healthcare, Flexicare, Fushan, Weikang Medical, Instrumentation Industries, Cooper Surgical, iCOR, Fairmont, Koo Medical Equipment, Boss Systems and Salter Labs. 

To provide feedback

Send us an email: jacquie.pillay@pharmac.govt.nz by 5 pm on Wednesday 20 December 2017.

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.

Feedback we receive is subject to the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) and we will consider any request to have information withheld in accordance with our obligations under the OIA. Anyone providing feedback, whether on their own account or on behalf of an organisation, and whether in a personal or professional capacity, should be aware that the content of their feedback and their identity may need to be disclosed in response to an OIA request.

We are not able to treat any part of your feedback as confidential unless you specifically request that we do, and then only to the extent permissible under the OIA and other relevant laws and requirements. If you would like us to withhold any commercially sensitive, confidential proprietary, or personal information included in your submission, please clearly state this in your submission and identify the relevant sections of your submission that you would like it withheld. PHARMAC will give due consideration to any such request.