Proposal to list patient warming and cooling products supplied by Pharmaco (NZ) Limited

Consultation closes at 4pm Thursday 13 August 2020 and feedback can be emailed to alyssa.currie@pharmac.govt.nz.

What would the effect be?

From 1 October 2020 patient warming and cooling products, supplied by Pharmaco, would be listed under a proposed national agreement for all DHB hospitals to purchase under, subject to consultation and approval by PHARMAC’s Board or delegate (“Agreement”).

The Agreement would not be for sole supply and DHBs could continue to purchase other suppliers’ brands of patient warming and cooling products.

Any medical device listed in the Agreement and purchased by a DHB hospital would be in accordance with the terms and conditions, including price, stated in the Agreement effective from the date of list on the Pharmaceutical Schedule.

As part of the Agreement Pharmaco would provide appropriate educational services that would be tailored to the individual needs of DHBs, in formats and at times as required by DHBs.

Pricing for the products 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

• Suppliers and Wholesalers
• DHB clinical and technical staff, including but not limited to:
  • Anaesthetists and anaesthetic technicians
  • Clinical engineers
  • ICU clinicians
  • Procurement and supply chain personnel

About patient warming and cooling products

Patient warming and cooling products are used to assist regulating a patient’s core body temperature when a patient is unable to self-regulate their body temperature. Patient warming and cooling products are commonly used in surgical and intensive care clinical settings.

Why we’re proposing this

In 2018 PHARMAC issued Requests for Proposals (“RFPs”) for patient warming and cooling products.

This RFP was for non-exclusive national agreements for listing on the Pharmaceutical Schedule.

PHARMAC has been working with suppliers who responded to the RFP to seek provisional agreements and this is the final provisional agreement to arise from this process.

Details about our proposal

The proposal would result in listing 46 patient warming and cooling products from the Altrix range on the Pharmaceutical Schedule. Altrix has previously been supplied by Stryker; as a result of a distribution agreement between Pharmaco and Stryker it is now being supplied by Pharmaco.

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: alyssa.currie@pharmac.govt.nz by 4pm Thursday 13 August 2020.

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.