Pharmac will
have to have a watertight process around product quality
assurance and product recall processes if it is to have a
monopoly on purchasing medical devices, says Labour’s
Health spokesperson, Maryan Street.
"If the botched
process for supplying blood glucose meters for New Zealand's
120,000 diabetics is anything to go by, there is real cause
for concern.
"Moving to a sole supplier of blood glucose
meters was a significant policy change for Pharmac and has a
number of risks. For example, diabetics are now wholly
reliant on one provider, where previously there was
competition which kept the main provider, Roche, on its toes
in terms of its after-sales service and technological
development.
“Now if their blood glucose meter fails
there is no way to easily access an alternative subsidised
meter.
“We have also seen a recall of two faulty hip
replacement devices recently, with haphazard notifications
to patients thanks to bad handling by the Ministry of
Health.
“These kinds of processes must be avoided by
Pharmac.
"Everyone is in favour of finding economies
inside the health budget, but this isn't just about bulk
buying of masks and gowns. This is about medical devices of
all sorts.
“I would simply urge Pharmac to do better
than it did over blood glucose meters when it gets all gung
ho about purchasing medical devices and saving money,"
Maryan Street said.
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