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

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guidance given by <strong>the</strong> PHARMAC Board to any <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> PHARMAC Community<br />

<strong>Exceptional</strong> Circumstances Panels from August 2000 to August 2009.<br />

In response PHARMAC’s Acting Chief Executive, Steffan Crusaz replied in<br />

response that:<br />

The EC Panel <strong>does</strong> not write a ‘decision’ that explains <strong>the</strong> reasoning for<br />

its determination. When <strong>the</strong> EC Panel meets, its members discuss <strong>the</strong><br />

application and agree whe<strong>the</strong>r or not <strong>the</strong> application meets <strong>the</strong><br />

exceptional circumstances criteria for funding or not (or, in some<br />

circumstances <strong>the</strong> EC Panel may consider that it requires fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />

information before it can make a decision). (S Crusaz PHARMAC)<br />

The response to <strong>the</strong> second request for information identified any instruction or<br />

guidance given by <strong>the</strong> PHARMAC Board to any <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Community <strong>Exceptional</strong><br />

Circumstances Panels. In response, Crusaz enclosed a briefing paper to <strong>the</strong><br />

PHARMAC Board which was written in 2006 seeking resolutions clarifying <strong>the</strong><br />

Terms <strong>of</strong> Reference and <strong>the</strong> financial delegations <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Community <strong>Exceptional</strong><br />

Circumstances Panel.<br />

PHARMAC released a breakdown <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> annual amounts and types <strong>of</strong> subsidy<br />

approved by <strong>the</strong> Community <strong>Exceptional</strong> Circumstances Panels between 2000<br />

and 2009 in an Excel spreadsheet. This is provided in Appendix 8 on <strong>the</strong><br />

accompanying CD ROM. The data confirmed <strong>the</strong>re are on average 450<br />

applications each year which includes new and renewal applications.<br />

PHARMAC spends approximately $3 million each year on Community<br />

<strong>Exceptional</strong> Circumstances. The table showed that in some years <strong>the</strong> $3 million<br />

allocated to fund Community <strong>Exceptional</strong> Circumstances claims was<br />

underspent.<br />

Official information Act Request to <strong>the</strong> Department <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Prime Minister<br />

and Cabinet<br />

I wrote to <strong>the</strong> Chief Executive <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Department <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Prime Minister and<br />

Cabinet (DPMC) requesting under <strong>the</strong> OIA all cabinet papers submitted by<br />

Ministers which mention PHARMAC’s Community <strong>Exceptional</strong> Circumstances<br />

and Cancer <strong>Exceptional</strong> Circumstances policies between 2000 and 2008.<br />

I asked <strong>the</strong> Chief Executive <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> DPMC for any documents which refer to <strong>the</strong><br />

principles on which PHARMAC was required to make decisions and any public<br />

198

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