Paula Lorgelly & Richard Edlin
Associate Health Minister David Seymour’s recent letter of expectations to drug buying agency Pharmac could fundamentally change the way the organisation makes decisions. Some of these changes could also make Pharmac’s job harder and its decisions more unpopular.
The letter has received considerable coverage due to the minister’s expectation that Pharmac pay less attention to embedding te Tiriti o Waitangi in the health sector. This has already seen the departure of one director.
But some of Seymour’s other expectations have received less scrutiny than they deserved.