Special authority funding data for insulin pump consumables

25 November 2020

Dear [name and contact details withheld]

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Thank you for your request dated 14 October 2020 under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) for information relating to insulin pump consumables.  You asked:

Would it be possible to obtain some indication to the number of patients that Pharmac is currently funding for insulin pump consumables? We are trying to establish number of T1 on insulin pumps. I am aware there are many who self-fund their pumps and consumables. Would you also have some indication to the number (%) who self-fund vs Pharmac funding?

Please see below for our response to your request.

PHARMAC funds insulin pump consumables for use by patients in the community, through Section B of the Pharmaceutical Schedule (“Schedule”), via Special Authority(external link) (SA) form.

The number of approved SA applications (ie initial or renewal applications) for 2020 to-date is provided below.

PHARMAC does not hold any information on the number or percentage of people who self-fund insulin pump consumables and we do not believe that the information is held by any other department or agency. As such we are unable to provide you with this information under section 18(g) of the OIA.

We trust that this information answers your queries. We are making our information more freely available, so we will now publish selected OIA responses (excluding personal details) on our website. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions about this.

Yours sincerely

Rachel Read
Manager, Policy and Government Services