Senior clinicians appointed to PHARMAC clinical committee
One of New Zealand’s leading experts in transplant medicine is one of three senior doctors joining PHARMAC’s clinical advisory committee, PTAC.
Professor Stephen Munn, head of the New Zealand Liver Transplant Unit, will join the Committee this month, along with two other senior New Zealand clinicians.
The Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee (PTAC) provides advice on pharmaceutical funding applications being considered by PHARMAC. The Committee is made up of senior practicing clinicians with particular expertise in examining clinical trial evidence.
Joining Prof Munn are Dunedin GP and Elaine Gurr Professor of General Practice at the Dunedin School of Medicine Tim Stokes, and Dr Matthew Strother, a senior medical oncologist and clinical pharmacologist at Christchurch Hospital.
All three clinicians have extensive records in international research with their work appearing in the international medical literature.
PHARMAC Medical Director Dr John Wyeth says the three new members bring an enormous wealth of knowledge and experience to PTAC and PHARMAC.
“The strength of PHARMAC’s decisions is based on the quality of the advice we receive from PTAC and its subcommittees,” says Dr Wyeth. “This can only be relied on if we continue to have outstanding members who are highly skilled and experienced clinicians on PTAC, so I am delighted with the calibre of the three new members.”
“This provides PHARMAC with confidence that the advice from PTAC will continue to be evidence-based and supported by the views of some of New Zealand’s most eminent and highly skilled clinicians.”
The new members will have their first meetings as members of PTAC this month.