Proposal to list ranges of interventional cardiology products

PHARMAC is seeking feedback on proposals to list ranges of Interventional Cardiology products in Part III of Section H of the Pharmaceutical Schedule from 1 November 2015. PHARMAC has entered into two separate provisional agreements. These agreements are provisional on PHARMAC’s Board (or its delegate) approval taking account of consultation feedback. Details are as follows:

• A proposal for 75 products from Maquet Australia Pty Ltd (“Maquet”); and
• A proposal for 3 products from Pyramed Pty Limited (“Pyramed”).
• If approved, DHBs would be able to purchase under either of these agreements, subject to consultation and approval. These agreements would not be sole supply agreements, and DHBs would continue to be able to purchase other suppliers’ brands of interventional cardiology products should they choose to.
• Maquet and Pyramed would continue providing educational services that will be tailored to suit the needs of individual DHB Hospitals in format and time as required by DHB Hospitals.
• Estimated total savings to DHBs of Maquet products ($2,300) and Pyramed products (cost neutral).
• Pricing for interventional cardiology products in the agreements, subject to any prior termination of the agreements would not be increased before 1 November 2018.

Feedback sought

PHARMAC welcomes feedback on this proposal. To provide feedback, please submit it in writing by Friday 9 October 2015 to:

All feedback received before the closing date will be considered by PHARMAC’s Board (or its delegate) prior to making decisions on these proposals.

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.

Details of the proposals

PHARMAC has entered into provisional agreements with Maquet and Pyramed for a range of interventional cardiology products. The exact product ranges and pricing in these proposals has not been included in this consultation for brevity, however we are making it available to Procurement Departments at DHBs. Brand ranges include:

If the agreements are approved by PHARMAC’s Board or its delegate, Maquet’s and Pyramed’s ranges of interventional cardiology products would be listed in Part III of Section H of the Pharmaceutical Schedule, which contains products with national agreements that DHBs are able to purchase under.

The agreements include terms for education services to be provided by Maquet and Pyramed to DHB personnel on appropriate use of its interventional cardiology products, which is to be provided at times as agreed with individual DHBs.

Background

In April 2014 PHARMAC issued a registration of interest document, seeking proposals from suppliers for non-exclusive national agreements for interventional cardiology products. Following closure of this request, we have been working with a number of suppliers seeking to reach an agreement with them. These agreements would bring the number of contracts from that process to seven. PHARMAC is pursuing several agreements with other suppliers also as a result of this process.