Pharmac and Health New Zealand are targeting late October 2027 for the joint go-live of a new Pharmaceutical Schedule platform and Health NZ’s new Special Authority IT system.
The timetable is outlined in Pharmac’s July update on progress against its 2025/26 Letter of Expectations, which provides new detail on a two-year data and digital programme being funded through one-off funding provided in Budget 2025.
Pharmac said the first major project was the redevelopment of the Pharmaceutical Schedule, replacing legacy Schedule applications with a modern, centralised database that will integrate with other internal and external systems.
It described the redevelopment as the “most significant change to the Schedule in the last 30 years”.
Pharmac has agreed a joint project plan with Health NZ to align delivery of the new Schedule with the new Special Authority IT system being developed by Health NZ.
A go-live date for both systems is scheduled for late October 2027.
The Schedule redevelopment itself has previously been announced by Pharmac, which said earlier this year that it planned to replace its ageing Schedule technology and move towards an online-only Pharmaceutical Schedule.
The latest update also reveals Pharmac is in the discovery and design phase for a new contract management system and is developing patient and supplier portals.
It is also working on improved application development tools to improve workflow and is “exploring opportunities” for the use of artificial intelligence across Pharmac’s work.
Pharmac said delivery of the Data and Digital programme would continue in 2026/27 in partnership with Health NZ and other health sector stakeholders.
The progress report also provides an update on the agencies’ new division of responsibilities for medical devices, following changes announced by the government in September 2025.
Pharmac said implementation remained on track, with work over the coming year to include a joint transition plan for contract ownership changes, a shared procurement pipeline and agreed processes and timeframes.
A cross-agency oversight group is overseeing implementation, while the agencies are also supporting the Device Advice and Assessment Pathway using health technology assessment.
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