Latest news with #DebbieFrancis
Otago Daily Times
29-04-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Pharmac's approach not fit for purpose, review finds
An independent review has found Pharmac's current approach is not fit for purpose and has called for an overhaul of both strategy and culture. Late last year, the board commissioned consultant Debbie Francis to review the drug-buying agency - amid criticism of some of its funding decisions. The review's executive summary, released today, says major changes are required to meet the government's expectations - with staff at all levels expressing some scepticism over whether that was even possible. It says Pharmac needs a clearer idea of its mission, and a set of measurable goals, as well as a complete reset of its operating model. "The starting point for assessing Pharmac's performance is its statutory objective which is "to secure for eligible people in need of pharmaceuticals, the best health outcomes that are reasonably achievable from pharmaceutical treatment and from within the amount of funding provided". "While its statutory objective has remained unchanged since Pharmac was established, government and stakeholders expect the agency to evolve and be agile to meet the growing health needs of New Zealanders in a landscape in which new and more targeted drugs are constantly being developed and in demand. Specifically, the latest Letter of Ministerial Expectations for 2024/25 called for changes in organisational culture, roles and responsibilities, and methods and processes to meet these new challenges. "Through the course of this review, it became clear that meeting these expectations will require a fundamental change in strategy and culture. Staff at all levels of the organisations expressed a degree of scepticism as to whether such a shift will be possible." The board's chair Paula Bennett said she was confident people would soon see changes as Pharmac adopts a more outward-focused approach. Associate Health Minister David Seymour, who holds the Pharmac delegation, said the review was difficult and painful in some ways, but ultimately necessary for Pharmac. Seymour acknowledged the government had set high goals for Pharmac to be a "brilliant" assessor of medicines and devices, and be more sensitive to patients, within the budget it was set. "That is challenging, but I believe that it's possible, and I believe after a couple of years people will be able to say Pharmac is in a very different place from the organisation that was often in the headlines for the wrong reasons just a few years ago," he told RNZ. Seymour said the current board was strong, and changes like a new chief executive would allow Pharmac to achieve more. "I believe people might be surprised with what Pharmac can achieve, and that might even include a surprise for some of the people within it," he said. He believed the staff he had met were capable of meeting the government's high performance demands. "I would be a bit cautious about listening to a limited number of voices claiming that we can't do it. My experience of the average person who works at Pharmac is pretty impressive." Seymour hinted Pharmac would be in line for increased funding at next month's Budget, with money for upgrades to IT systems.
RNZ News
29-04-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Pharmac's approach not fit for purpose, major review finds
Photo: An independent review has found Pharmac's current approach is not fit for purpose and has called for an overhaul of both strategy and culture. Late last year, the board commissioned consultant Debbie Francis to review the drug-buying agency - amid criticism of some of its funding decisions. The review's executive summary, released Tuesday, says major changes are required to meet the government's expectations - with staff at all levels expressing some sceptism over whether that was even possible. It says Pharmac needs a clearer idea of its mission, and a set of measurable goals, as well as a complete reset of its operating model. "The starting point for assessing Pharmac's performance is its statutory objective which is "to secure for eligible people in need of pharmaceuticals, the best health outcomes that are reasonably achievable from pharmaceutical treatment and from within the amount of funding provided". "While its statutory objective has remained unchanged since Pharmac was established, government and stakeholders expect the agency to evolve and be agile to meet the growing health needs of New Zealanders in a landscape in which new and more targeted drugs are constantly being developed and in demand. Specifically, the latest Letter of Ministerial Expectations for 2024/25 called for changes in organisational culture, roles and responsibilities, and methods and processes to meet these new challenges. "Through the course of this review, it became clear that meeting these expectations will require a fundamental change in strategy and culture. Staff at all levels of the organisations expressed a degree of scepticism as to whether such a shift will be possible." The board's chair Paula Bennett said she was confident people will soon see changes as Pharmac adopts a more outward-focused approach. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
29-04-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Pharmac not fit for purpose, overhaul needed
Photo: An independent review has found Pharmac's current approach is not fit for purpose and has called for an overhaul of both strategy and culture. Late last year, the board commissioned consultant Debbie Francis to review the drug-buying agency - amid criticism of some of its funding decisions. The review's executive summary, released Tuesday, says major changes are required to meet the government's expectations - with staff at all levels expressing some sceptism over whether that was even possible. It says Pharmac needs a clearer idea of its mission, and a set of measurable goals, as well as a complete reset of its operating model. "The starting point for assessing Pharmac's performance is its statutory objective which is "to secure for eligible people in need of pharmaceuticals, the best health outcomes that are reasonably achievable from pharmaceutical treatment and from within the amount of funding provided". "While its statutory objective has remained unchanged since Pharmac was established, government and stakeholders expect the agency to evolve and be agile to meet the growing health needs of New Zealanders in a landscape in which new and more targeted drugs are constantly being developed and in demand. Specifically, the latest Letter of Ministerial Expectations for 2024/25 called for changes in organisational culture, roles and responsibilities, and methods and processes to meet these new challenges. "Through the course of this review, it became clear that meeting these expectations will require a fundamental change in strategy and culture. Staff at all levels of the organisations expressed a degree of scepticism as to whether such a shift will be possible." The board's chair Paula Bennett said she was confident people will soon see changes as Pharmac adopts a more outward-focused approach.
CBC
28-04-2025
- Health
- CBC
First Nations health centre, chef, create hospital menus to heal body and spirit at Manitoulin Health Centre
A program to nourish the hearts and souls as well as the bodies of patients at the Mindemoya and Little Current sites of the Manitoulin Health Centre is finding success. The Noojmowin Teg Health Centre provides services to seven First Nations on Manitoulin Island and Anishinabek people in the surrounding district. Executive director Debbie Francis said the health centre has developed a program to incorporate local, traditional foods into hospital meals a couple of times a week, in line with the Indigenous philosophy that good food is good medicine. That means a healthy combination of wild game, fish, corn, berries and other seasonal produce form the basis of the meals. The trays are not just for the First Nations patients but are offered to non-Indigenous patients as well, which Francis said is a way to spread cultural understanding and knowledge. "We're introducing some of these foods to individuals who have never had wild rice or they've never had moose meat or, you know, a moose stir fry," she said. "So that is where you know, we're able to not only offer the food, but also share about the food too." Frances says the menus also address the higher prevalence of diabetes among Indigenous people. "It's healthier for you, wild rice versus having white rice, for example," she said. "Fish is such a natural food item. It's local food, It's lean. Just having the offerings of those foods in itself helps for better outcomes." Every effort is made to make the meals tasty and appealing as well, with chef Hiawatha Osawamick coming up with the recipes. Osawamick is a member of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory and operates a restaurant and catering business in Wahnapitae First Nation. She said she's inspired by the natural, unprocessed food of the land and incorporates them into her recipes on a seasonal basis. "So there's rabbit stew, bison chili, elk stew, lamb Stew," she said. "So I just incorporate those wild games into a stew. And then I have to keep in mind that my menus have to be tender, where you have these elders that are having a hard time chewing food, so the foods have to be very tender, very saucy, very soft." While the food is healthy and appetizing, it's also meant to connect people to their families and their culture. "Just having these foods, the smells, it brings back memories from their childhood," said Osawamick. "So it gives them a sense of spirituality, traditional cultural knowledge and just, you know, bringing back those core principles of when they were a kid which will help support their healing and well-being." She said that the hospital reports clean plates being returned to the kitchen.
