How does the operation of PHARMAC's 'Community Exceptional ...

I tried to find an interviewee from each decision making role related to
PHARMAC’s CEC policy process. I sought out a Medical Director, a CEC
Administrator, A Chair of the CEC Panel, a CEC panellist and a PHARMAC
Chief Executive.
By the time the interviewees who were past or present employees of
PHARMAC had been engaged, each role with a key person, (with the exception
of CEC panellists) had agreed to be interviewed. . Under the circumstances,
this was a reasonably successful outcome.
In all, I selected eight key informants. Four were past or present PHARMAC
employees and four were non-PHARMAC interviewees to participate in
interviews as approved by the Auckland University of Technology Ethics
Committee. These were people who were holding, or who have held, positions
in which they have influenced the formulation or the operation of PHARMAC’s
Community Exceptional Circumstances policy. Some interviewees were
working for PHARMAC at the time; some had left PHARMAC and were in other
roles with other organisations or had retired.
I requested interviews with people who held qualifications and experience in
politics, policy, administration, medicine, nursing, management, governance or
combinations of these. I wanted to explore each person’s different experiences
and perspectives of operating the PHARMAC policy, people who were closest
to it and in my opinion were the most knowledgeable of it.
I interviewed past or present Ministers of Health who had approved PHARMAC
funding and managed the policy settings. There have been 38 people in New
Zealand who are or have been Ministers of Health between 1900 and 2011. I
approached two present or past Ministers of Health who are or have been
particularly involved with PHARMAC during the time of their ministerial warrant.
Both agreed to be interviewed.
In my AUTEC application, I indicated my intention to interview patients who had
been successful and those who had been unsuccessful in a Community
Exceptional Circumstances application for drug funding. After beginning this
research, I became aware of three people who were potential candidates for an
interview in the research because they had been denied a Community
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