Sarah Fitt
Paula Bennett speaks on Pharmac CEO Sarah Fitt resigning
The boss of the government's drug buying agency has resigned and will leave the job at the end of May. Pharmac Chief Executive Sarah Fitt has faced repeated calls for her resignation from both… Audio
Pharmac CEO responds to 600 million govt boost
The 1st of October is the soonist Pharmac says it will be able to get much-needed cancer drugs available to people who need them following the announcement they'll be getting a 600 million dollar cash… Audio
Pharmac to get extra $1.7 billion over four years
The drug buying agency Pharmac says funding new medicines is still out of reach despite the government's latest cash injection. Pharmac Chief Executive Sarah Fitt spoke to Corin Dann Audio
Pharmac seeking feedback on dropping automatic funding for child cancer drugs
Pharmac is seeking feedback on a rule change that could affect child cancer patients.
Under the current system, any medicine for pediatric cancer is automatically funded without a Pharmac… Audio
Budget 2022: Extra funding on the way for Pharmac
The drug-buying agency Pharmac has a much bigger pool of money to fund medicines following yesterday's Budget.
The Government is investing an extra $191 million over the next two years - a sum that… Audio
Vulnerable patients prioritised for antiviral covid treatments
Doctors are warning new oral antiviral drugs, which have been dubbed a "game changer" when treating covid in vulnerable patients, will not be available to all who want them. The Government has secured… Audio
Phamac responds to interim review on agency
The drug-buyer Pharmac has been heavily criticised in an interim report into the agency, released on Thursday. The review, led by former Consumer chief executive Sue Chetwin, said the high-profile… Audio
Pharmac chief executive on possible changes to child cancer drug funding
Drug buying agency Pharmac is considering scrapping a special rule that allows hospitals to give children with cancer any medicine their doctor asks for and Pharmac pays the bill.
The change is being… Audio
Child cancer drug funding not straight forward - Pharmac CEO
Pharmac is likely to end its blanket provision for childrens' cancer drugs Until now, child paediatric oncology drugs have been provided under a special exception allowing hospitals to give children… Audio
Pharmac under pressure to stump up for more medicines
Pharmac is under intense pressure from clinicians, health advocacy groups and patients to fund more medicines in areas as diverse as diabetes, cancer and rare disorders.
So how does it manage its… Video, Audio
Pharmac diabetes medicine 'third world' - expert
A leading diabetes expert has slammed Pharmac for its approach to Type Two Diabetes - saying access to medicines for the disease is at a third world level in New Zealand and lives are being lost… Audio
Pharmac's secret medicine waiting list
Pharmac has told patients waiting for drugs to be funded it can never release its secret list that ranks the medicines it is waiting to fund. The drug-buying agency says it's the most commercially… Video, Audio
Investigating Pharmac: The NZ Buyer's Club
A cancer patient who has helped keep himself alive by buying cut-price medicines from India says he's now helping dozens of other New Zealand cancer patients who can't get medicines funded by Pharmac… Audio
Pharmacists build support to improve Pacific health
Pharmacists in New Zealand have set up a new network to help Pacific people make more informed choices about their health. Audio
Pharmac rejects application to subsidise sanitary items
According to Pharmac, menstruation isn't a health need, so they will not be subsidising tampons and sanitary pads for all women. Audio
Why did Pharmac wait on funding Opdivo, Keytruda?
Why did cancer patients in New Zealand have to wait so long for Keytruda? Sarah Fitt, Pharmac's Director of Operations, joins Checkpoint. Audio
Pharmac reaches "commercially favourable" Keytruda agreement
Melanoma sufferers and cancer groups say Pharmac plans to fund the advanced melanoma drug Keytruda will save lives and change lives. We talk to Pharmac's Sarah Fitt about why Pharmac changed its mind.
…Pharmac's melanoma treatment 'not ideal'
Pharmac's only melanoma treatment is not ideal for treating the disease, a representative for the government agency has told Checkpoint with John Campbell. Video, Audio
New funding regime needed for revolutionary cancer drugs
The country's top cancer research organisation says a new drug funding regime is needed to pay for a new generation of drugs which are revolutionising cancer therapy. Pharmac's clinical advisory… Audio
Pharmac thumbs down for melanoma drug
Pharmac says there's not enough evidence to justify spending 30 million dollars a year on a promising new melanoma drug. Audio
