Thank you for contacting Pharmac. We have received your enquiry and will
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Kia ora Penny

Thank you for your request for official information, which Pharmac received on 29 may 2026. The reference number for your request is: 2025-26-243

You should receive a response from us on or before 29 June 2026. This is within the 20 working day limit set out in the Official Information Act.

The response date shown takes into account:
King's Birthday (1 June 2026)

Please contact us if you have any questions.

Ngā mihi,

Government Services | Pharmac
___________________________________________________________________
Pharmac - Te Pātaka Whaioranga | Level 9, 40 Mercer Street, Wellington
http://www.pharmac.govt.nz/
________________

-----Original Message-----
From: Penny Claridge <[FOI #34796 email]>
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2026 9:58 AM
To: Web Enquiry <[email address]>
Subject: R-1205: Official Information request - Pandemic Vaccine Procurement, India FTA Implications, and Advance Purchase Agreement Framework

[You don't often get email from [FOI #34796 email]. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

Dear Pharmaceutical Management Agency,

Pursuant to the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following information:

All internal briefing papers, policy documents, legal opinions, or board papers prepared by Pharmac regarding the implications of the New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement's pharmaceutical and medical devices provisions - specifically the GMP mutual recognition and regulatory acceptance provisions - for Pharmac's competitive procurement processes for vaccines, during the period 1 January 2024 to date.

All internal documents, briefing papers, or board papers that address the question of whether Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers - including specifically the Serum Institute of India - would be eligible to participate in future Pharmac vaccine procurement processes under the terms of the NZ-India FTA, and on what regulatory basis.

A summary of the legal and procedural framework under which Pharmac's normal competitive procurement processes can be suspended or bypassed in the event of a declared public health emergency, including:

a. The statutory basis for any such suspension.

b. The authority (Minister, Director-General, or other) required to activate emergency procurement.

c. Whether Pharmac has developed or updated any emergency procurement protocols since the conclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic response.

The complete terms of the current Principal Supply agreement with Pfizer for the Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine (awarded August 31, 2025), including:

a. Contract value.

b. Volume commitments.

c. Indemnity provisions (if any).

d. Intellectual property terms.

e. Termination clauses.

Note: I acknowledge that Pharmac has previously withheld contract terms on commercial sensitivity grounds. I request that Pharmac reassess this position in light of the public interest in transparency regarding publicly-funded vaccine procurement, and that any decision to withhold be accompanied by a full explanation of how commercial sensitivity outweighs the public interest under section 9(1) of the Official Information Act 1982.

All correspondence between Pharmac and Helen Clark - in any capacity - regarding vaccine procurement, the NZ-India FTA, or pandemic preparedness, during the period 1 January 2024 to date.

If any information is withheld, I request that the grounds for withholding be specified with reference to the relevant section of the Official Information Act 1982.

I trust this request can be completed within 20 working days as required by the Act.

Yours faithfully,

Penny Claridge

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #34796 email]

Is [PHARMAC request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to Pharmaceutical Management Agency? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

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This e-mail message and any accompanying attachments may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not read, use, disseminate, distribute or copy this message or attachments. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this message.

hide quoted sections

Kia ora Penny,

 

Thank you for your request for official information received on 13 May
2026 as below.

 

Pharmac has decided to extend the period of time available to respond to
your request under section 15A of the Official Information Act 1982 (the
Act) as we need further time to undertake consultation on your request.

 

You can now expect a response to your request on, or before,  13 July
2026. 

 

You have the right, under section 28 of the Act, to ask the Ombudsman to
review my decision to extend the time available to respond to your
request. 

 

Ngā mihi  

 

Government Services 

___________________________________________________________________
Pharmac - Te Pātaka Whaioranga | Level 9, 40 Mercer Street, Wellington 
[1]www.pharmac.govt.nz

________________

[2]undefined

 

 

-----Original Message-----

From: Penny Claridge <[3][FOI #34796 email]>

Sent: Friday, May 29, 2026 9:58 AM

To: Web Enquiry <[4][email address]>

Subject: R-1205: Official Information request - Pandemic Vaccine
Procurement, India FTA Implications, and Advance Purchase Agreement
Framework

 

[You don't often get email from
[5][FOI #34796 email]. Learn why this is
important at [6]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

 

Dear Pharmaceutical Management Agency,

 

Pursuant to the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following
information:

 

All internal briefing papers, policy documents, legal opinions, or board
papers prepared by Pharmac regarding the implications of the New
Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement's pharmaceutical and medical devices
provisions - specifically the GMP mutual recognition and regulatory
acceptance provisions - for Pharmac's competitive procurement processes
for vaccines, during the period 1 January 2024 to date.

 

All internal documents, briefing papers, or board papers that address the
question of whether Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers - including
specifically the Serum Institute of India - would be eligible to
participate in future Pharmac vaccine procurement processes under the
terms of the NZ-India FTA, and on what regulatory basis.

 

A summary of the legal and procedural framework under which Pharmac's
normal competitive procurement processes can be suspended or bypassed in
the event of a declared public health emergency, including:

 

a. The statutory basis for any such suspension.

 

b. The authority (Minister, Director-General, or other) required to
activate emergency procurement.

 

c. Whether Pharmac has developed or updated any emergency procurement
protocols since the conclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic response.

 

The complete terms of the current Principal Supply agreement with Pfizer
for the Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine (awarded August 31, 2025), including:

 

a. Contract value.

 

b. Volume commitments.

 

c. Indemnity provisions (if any).

 

d. Intellectual property terms.

 

e. Termination clauses.

 

Note: I acknowledge that Pharmac has previously withheld contract terms on
commercial sensitivity grounds. I request that Pharmac reassess this
position in light of the public interest in transparency regarding
publicly-funded vaccine procurement, and that any decision to withhold be
accompanied by a full explanation of how commercial sensitivity outweighs
the public interest under section 9(1) of the Official Information Act
1982.

 

All correspondence between Pharmac and Helen Clark - in any capacity -
regarding vaccine procurement, the NZ-India FTA, or pandemic preparedness,
during the period 1 January 2024 to date.

 

If any information is withheld, I request that the grounds for withholding
be specified with reference to the relevant section of the Official
Information Act 1982.

 

I trust this request can be completed within 20 working days as required
by the Act.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Penny Claridge

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[7][FOI #34796 email]

 

Is [8][PHARMAC request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Pharmaceutical Management Agency? If so, please contact us
using this form:

[9]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[10]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

This e-mail message and any accompanying attachments may contain
confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, please do
not read, use, disseminate, distribute or copy this message or
attachments. If you have received this message in error, please notify the
sender immediately and delete this message.

References

Visible links
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http://www.pharmac.govt.nz/
3. mailto:[FOI #34796 email]
4. mailto:[PHARMAC request email]
5. mailto:[FOI #34796 email]
6. https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific...
7. mailto:[FOI #34796 email]
8. mailto:[PHARMAC request email]
9. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
10. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

 

Kia ora Penny,

 

Please find attached a response to your request for official information.

 

Ngā mihi,

 

Government Services | Pharmac

___________________________________________________________________
Pharmac - Te Pātaka Whaioranga | Level 9, 40 Mercer Street, Wellington 
[1]www.pharmac.govt.nz

________________

[2]undefined

 

This e-mail message and any accompanying attachments may contain
confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, please do
not read, use, disseminate, distribute or copy this message or
attachments. If you have received this message in error, please notify the
sender immediately and delete this message.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.pharmac.govt.nz/
http://www.pharmac.govt.nz/

hide quoted sections