Proposal to list interventional radiology products supplied by Merit Medical New Zealand Limited
PHARMAC is seeking feedback on a proposal to list a range of interventional radiology products through a provisional agreement with Merit Medical New Zealand Limited.
What we’re proposing
PHARMAC is seeking feedback on a proposal to list a range of interventional radiology products in Part III of Section H of the Pharmaceutical Schedule from 1 July 2019 through a provisional agreement with Merit Medical New Zealand Limited (‘Merit’).
Consultation closes at 5pm on Thursday, 18 April 2019 and feedback can be emailed to sarah.penno@pharmac.govt.nz.
What would the effect be?
From 1 July 2019, Merit’s range of interventional radiology products would fall under a proposed national agreement (‘Agreement’) that all DHBs may purchase under. The Agreement provides national consistency for these devices as the Price and Terms & Conditions stated in the Agreement apply to all DHB purchases from the date of listing on the Pharmaceutical Schedule.
The Agreement would not be for sole supply, with DHBs continuing to be able to purchase other suppliers’ brands of interventional radiology products. Merit is a new direct supplier to the market, though some of the proposed products had been previously available through distribution arrangements.
This Agreement would supersede any existing DHB contract for the devices listed in the Schedule 1 of the 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.
As part of the Agreement, Merit would provide training and education, as applicable, that would be tailored to the needs of the individual DHBs.
Who we think will be interested
- DHB Staff
- Interventional radiology staff
- Procurement officers and supply chain personnel
- Suppliers and Wholesalers
About interventional radiology products
Interventional radiology refers to a range of minimally invasive alternatives to surgery to diagnose and treat a variety of conditions in nearly every organ system, that are performed using radiologic imaging guidance to precisely target the intervention. The procedures are performed using catheters inserted via either radial or femoral arteries or veins.
The imaging modalities used include general radiography including fluoroscopy, angiography, ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging.
Interventional radiology in some form is performed in all hospitals across New Zealand.
Why we’re proposing this listing
The RFP was for non-exclusive national agreements for listing in the Pharmaceutical Schedule.
PHARMAC has been working with suppliers to seek provisional agreements and this is the 17th proposal to arise from that process. We intend to consult on the remaining few agreements in this category over the coming months.
Details about our proposal
PHARMAC has entered into a provisional Agreement with Merit for 1428 interventional radiology products – these include catheters, guidewires, introducer sheaths, retrievers and vascular flow devices. The exact product range and pricing in this proposal has not been included in this consultation for brevity.
We are making the full list available to Procurement Departments at DHBs.
To provide feedback
Send us an email: sarah.penno@pharmac.govt.nz by 18 April 2019.
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.