title: Ahead of its time? Reflecting on New Zealand's Pharmac following its 20th anniversary.
abstract: New Zealand's Pharmaceutical Management Agency (Pharmac) was created in 1993. Unusual in international terms, Pharmac's objective is to work within a fixed budget while ensuring the New Zealand public receives an adequate range of government-subsidised medicines. Following its 20th anniversary, this article reflects on Pharmac's development and role within the New Zealand health system, various changes over time to the agency's scope and activities, its performance and its present challenges.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Centre for Health Systems, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand, robin.gauld@otago.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gauld
mesh_terms: D004345:Drug Industry / Q000191:economics; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history*; D017850:Economics, Pharmaceutical; D005380:Financing, Government / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history; D006077:Government Agencies / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D009520:New Zealand; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000191:economics
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs