Health Minister Annette King says a national pharmaceutical purchasing strategy will provide consistency and equitable access to hospital drugs throughout New Zealand.
The minister has approved the National Hospital Pharmaceutical Purchasing Strategy, will see Pharmac, the Government's drug buying agency, authorised to work collaboratively with individual DHBs to purchase hospital drugs.
Under the finalised strategy, Pharmac will act as the sole central negotiating agent, and annual savings from this approach are expected to be several million.
