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RMI welcomes panel's
report
7 May 2010
The Researched Medicines Industry Association
(RMI) welcomes the publication today of the Review of Access to
High-Cost, Highly Specialised Medicines in New Zealand, released
by the Hon Tony Ryall, Minister of Health.
We will be taking time to study the recommendations
in detail but we are encouraged that the panel have listened carefully
and objectively to all the submissions made” says Denise Wood, Chief
Executive.
The PHARMAC model needs to evolve in order to
address the ever increasing gap between New Zealand and the rest
of the world in terms of access to medicines; the RMI looks forward
to working with the Government on taking these recommendations forward.”
Ends.
For further information contact:
Denise Wood, ph 04 499 4277 or 021 681 611.
A link to the Minister’s announcement and a
copy of the report is below
http://www.national.org.nz/Article.aspx?ArticleID=32795
Lex Henry to chair
the Researched Medicines Industry
30 November 2009
 Auckland-based
lawyer, Lex Henry, has been appointed chairman of the Researched
Medicines Industry (RMI).
A Special Counsel with Auckland law firm Minter Ellison Rudd Watts,
Mr Henry currently chairs merchant bank Cranleigh, is a Director
of Ngai Tahu Properties and health software company MedTech, and
a member of the Auckland University of Technology Council and AUT
Millennium Institute.
The Deputy Chair of the TransTasman Business Circle, and a Trustee
of the Christchurch Arts Festival and the Asia NZ Foundation, until
recently Mr Henry was a Landcorp director and the Deputy Chairman
of OnTrack (KiwiRail).
RMI Chief Executive Officer, Denise Wood, said Mr Henry also came
to the RMI with a background as a director of an English bank and
two Wall Street investment banks, and had served as a New Zealand
diplomat covering ASEAN.
His extensive national and international business experience and
broad engagement within New Zealand's public and private sectors,
was a positive fit with opportunities and challenges currently facing
the country's health arena, Ms Wood said.
"His breadth of experience will be critical in further enabling
the RMI to meet its vision of ensuring New Zealand patients enjoy
equitable access to high quality, innovative and cost effective
medicines available internationally," Ms Wood said.
Mr Henry will replace Dr Pippa MacKay who resigned in October to
focus on her Christchurch medical practice following five years
as the RMI chair.
For more information and photographs of Mr Henry, contact:
Helen Corrigan
Senior Communications Advisor
Researched Medicines Industry
(M) 021 151 9970
hcorrigan@rmianz.co.nz
Ends
New CEO brings
international experience to RMI
8 October 2009
 The
Researched Medicines Industry Association (RMI) has appointed Denise
Wood as its new Chief Executive Officer.
British-born Mrs Wood brings international experience to the role
having worked on New Zealand, Australian, US and UK healthcare projects.
This will give RMI an invaluable insight into the funding and recognition
of the role of medicines in New Zealand compared to other developed
countries.
"Denise has an exceptional blend of international leadership
and strategic skills that will benefit our organisation and its
members," RMI Chairman Dr Pippa MacKay says.
Mrs Wood joins RMI from IT and consultancy firm the Simpl Group
where she was Head of Professional Services. Her achievements include
assisting with the establishment of an electronic prescription system
in Australia and the Health Management System Collaborative (HMSC)
Health Transformation initiative for a group of DHB's in New Zealand.
She was previously a partner at the London office of US healthcare
practice Bearing Point where she worked across the London cluster
of the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) on clinical process improvement.
Mrs Wood was also Director Deployment at medical technologies and
services firm GE Healthcare where she led the implementation of
a $1 billion health IT project.
Mrs Wood says she is looking forward to leading New Zealand's pharmaceutical
industry and reinforcing its pivotal role as an advocate for New
Zealand patients.
"I'm passionate about healthcare and getting better outcomes
for New Zealanders. My priorities will include enhancing our relationship
with the Government and getting more access to modern medicines
for New Zealanders," Mrs Wood says.
Mrs Wood will start on October 19. She replaces former CEO Ken Shirley
who left in June 2009.
Meanwhile Dr Pippa MacKay is standing down as Chairman to focus
on her general practice and surgery in Christchurch.
Vice Chairman Alan Carter thanked Dr MacKay for her hard work over
the past five years.
"Dr MacKay has ably steered the organisation through a challenging
time, politically and economically, and we wish her well for the
future," Mr Carter says.
RMI has started looking for a new Chairman.
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22 Sept 09
RMI members help PHARMAC over
avoidable medicine shortage
21 Aug 09
Spend more of health budget on making
people better
31 July 09
NZ must head back to OECD medicine
standard
28 May 09
Budget and access to medicines for
New Zealanders
17 April 09
OECD recommends a greater investment
in medicines
23 Oct 08
Funding for medicines welcomed
1 Oct 08
Good. But why did it take so long?
8 Aug 08
Herceptin decision yet another confirmation
that system is failing New Zealanders
1 Aug 08
Aussie's beat the Kiwis, yet again
...
23 July 08
Medicines for treating dementia
16 July 08
PHARMAC Budget increase
paltry
28 May 08
Trans Tasman envy
19 May 08
'More funding for medicines'
14 May 08
Medicines subsidies fiasco part of a much bigger problem
13 May 08
Wise use of antibiotics campaign
supported by RMI
4 Apr 08
'Told you so' re PHARMAC Herceptin
Decision
25 Mar 08
Access to medicines slow and long
4 Mar 08
Support for science and research
call
Click here
for 2007 releases.
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Media Backgrounder
The Researched Medicines Industry Association of New Zealand (RMI)
is the professional and trade organisation representing companies
engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing
of prescription medicines.
While the determinants of health are varied and complex, prescription
medicines play a vital role in the prevention, amelioration and
treatment of disease and disability and are an essential tool for
improving health outcomes for New Zealanders.
The pharmaceutical industry in New Zealand is strongly committed
to assisting New Zealanders in realising these benefits and the
RMI can therefore play an important role in the development and
maintenance of a first world health service for all New Zealanders.
Through closer collaboration with policy makers the RMI believes
it can help deliver four key benefits to New Zealand:
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Improved access to a wider range of medicines allowing more effective treatment and improved health outcomes; |
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The use of new innovative medicines and technological developments in treating chronic and degenerative diseases and illnesses, will reduce other health expenditure and result in more people remaining productive and active; |
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A more conducive environment for investment that supports the development of New Zealand’s knowledge economy, and in particular, the development of the biotechnology sector; and |
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Reductions in the on-costs of illness and disability; for example carer costs, reduced wages and productivity, and the growing welfare burden. |
The RMI believes that to achieve these benefits a number of policy issues need to be addressed. These include:
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A more realistic budget for funding medicines and an annual growth target closer to first world standards; |
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Government policies that support the development of private purchase healthcare, in particular medical insurance and a co-payment system for medicines; |
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Instruct PHARMAC to consider aspects beyond its operational silo that facilitates savings elsewhere in the health sector and the wider economy; |
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Adjustment of New Zealand’s low cost-effectiveness benchmarks to enable recognition of medicines with significant health benefits; |
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Timeline standards for decisions on the subsidy of medicines so that patients, clinicians and companies know what is happening; |
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A government and industry policy forum to encourage open interchange of ideas and to solve problems; |
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The repeal, or at least the narrowing, of PHARMAC's exemption from Part II of the Commerce Act; |
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The recognition of the value of innovative pharmaceuticals, both in subsidy decisions and reference pricing policies, and |
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Improvements of PHARMAC's and
the Pharmacology and Therapeutic Advisory Committee's (PTAC)
transparency and accountability with an independent review process. |
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