Pharmac has revised its plans to redevelop New Zealand’s Pharmaceutical Schedule, opting for a phased replacement of its 30-year-old technology rather than a complete overhaul of the system in 2027.
The medicines funding agency had planned to introduce a fully redeveloped Schedule by late 2027 but has changed its approach following feedback from Health New Zealand and other health sector stakeholders.
The Schedule lists publicly funded medicines and medical devices used in public hospitals, and is used by health professionals to check funding eligibility and prescribing conditions.
Pharmac director of strategy, policy and performance Michael Johnson said the technology underpinning the Schedule was ageing and needed to be replaced.
“The current Schedule is built on technology that is over 30 years old. It’s critical that we replace this aging technology to reduce risk and ensure the Schedule remains available, secure, and able to be supported for health sector users,” Mr Johnson said.
He said the agency had reconsidered its original plans because of the potential impact of introducing major changes alongside other technology developments across the health system.
“Wider health sector technology changes at the same time meant implementing major changes to the Pharmaceutical Schedule would have created significant change impacts for health sector users,” he said.
“We listened to what we heard and adjusted our plans. For now, we will focus on rebuilding the Schedule on a modern technology platform while maintaining the current Schedule format and outputs that the sector relies on today.”
Pharmac is engaging with users to identify which formats, information and outputs need to be retained as part of the replacement system.
The agency still intends to move to a digital-only Schedule supported by a secure data feed in the longer term, but has prioritised replacing the existing infrastructure.
“However, our immediate priority needs to be delivering a stable and reliable replacement for the current system,” Mr Johnson said.
The first upgraded components are expected to be released in mid-2027, with further functionality delivered in stages.
“This phased approach will reduce implementation risk, support user readiness, and allow us to continue working closely with the sector throughout delivery,” he said.
In a July progress update, Pharmac said the redevelopment was part of a wider two-year data and digital programme funded through Budget 2025.
The programme includes replacing legacy Schedule applications with a modern centralised database, integrating with internal and external systems and developing new contract management capabilities and patient and supplier portals.
Pharmac is also exploring opportunities to use AI across its operations.
The agency described the redevelopment as the most significant change to the Pharmaceutical Schedule in 30 years.
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