24 February 2020
Belinda Hodson
fyi.org.nz/request/10850-citation-list-for-pharmac-funded-thyroid-medications-and-patient-
survey-data#outgoing-18914
Dear Belinda
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION: THYROID MEDICATIONS
I am writing further to your information request of 31 July 2019, in which you sought, under
the Official Information Act (OIA), the citation lists of data (clinical research studies, other
clinical papers and publications including randomised control trials and guidelines, and
patient survey data), as at 1 June 2019, for all funded thyroid medications.
PHARMAC understands you are interested in receiving ‘the specific citations used by
PHARMAC in its decision-making process, when PHARMAC decides which thyroid
medications to fund’.
I can confirm that PHARMAC does not hold information of this type. This is because,
according to our records, the medications listed under the ‘thyroid and antithyroid agents’
section of the Schedule were all publicly funded prior to PHARMAC taking over responsibility
for the Community Pharmaceutical Schedule (in 1993) and the Hospital Medicines List (in
2013/14). As such, PHARMAC has not carried out a detailed assessment of these products
for the purpose of informing any funding decision.
I hope this information is of assistance.
Yours sincerely
Alison Hill
Director, Engagement and Implementation
2019-20-007, A1360064