Proposal to enter into an agreement for a range of medical devices supplied by Smith & Nephew

Overview

Pharmac is seeking feedback on a proposal to enter into an agreement for a range of medical devices supplied by Smith & Nephew Limited (“Smith & Nephew”) in Part III of Section H of the Pharmaceutical Schedule from 1 July 2026 in the following categories:

Consultation closes at 4pm, Monday 25 May 2026 and feedback can be emailed to mikka.nocete@pharmac.govt.nz

What would the effect be?

From 1 July 2026, Smith & Nephew’s range of medical devices in the surgical implants, and medical and surgical instruments and power tools categories would be listed under a national agreement for all Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora (“Health NZ”) hospitals to purchase under, subject to consultation and approval by Pharmac’s Board or delegate.

The agreement would not be for sole supply, with Health NZ continuing to be able to purchase other suppliers’ brands of surgical implants, and medical and surgical instruments and power tools.

The agreement would supersede any existing Health NZ contracts with Smith & Nephew for the medical devices listed in the agreement. Any device listed in the Pharmac agreement and purchased by a Health NZ hospital would be at the price, terms and conditions stated in the agreement, effective from the date of listing on the Pharmaceutical Schedule.

As part of the agreement, Smith & Nephew would provide appropriate training and education services that would be tailored to the needs of individual Health NZ hospitals, in formats and at times as required by Health NZ hospitals.

Pricing for the medical devices in the agreement, subject to any prior termination of the agreement, would not be increased without prior consultation and approval by Pharmac.

Who we think will be interested

Health NZ hospital staff including:
- Clinical engineers and maintenance services
- ICU, emergency, and critical care staff
- Neurologists and Neurosurgeons
- Nurses
- Opthalmologists
- Perioperative staff
- Procurement and supply chain
- Sterile services personnel
- Surgeons
- Surgical and general ward staff
Suppliers and wholesalers

About these products

Surgical implants are devices that are placed in or on the body. These devices support a range of functions, such as replacing damaged tissue, supporting existing tissue or enhancing existing bodily functions. The surgical implants encompass product ranges of reconstructive implants, surgical stents, orthopaedic soft tissue fixation, surgical mesh, ocular implants, aural implants and implantable neurostimulators.

Medical and surgical instruments and power tool products are used in a vast range of medical and surgical specialities and procedures. Some are more generally used within clinical practice and others have highly specific applications. Some require power sources or other equipment to perform their function.

Why we’re proposing this

In 2021 Pharmac issued a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) for the supply of surgical implants, medical and surgical instruments and power tools, and associated products.

The RFP was for non-exclusive national agreements for listing on the Pharmaceutical Schedule.

Pharmac has been working with suppliers who responded to the RFP and were successful in being progressed to contract negotiation to seek provisional agreements. This is the latest proposal to arise from this process.

Details about our proposal

The proposal would result in 1,566 medical devices being listed in the Pharmaceutical Schedule covering the following brands:

Category	Number of devices	Brand
Surgical implants	339	ACH KIT, Biceptor Biosure, Bioraptor, Biosure, BROSTROM, Cannulated Screw, Dynomite, Endobutton, Fast Fix, Fast-Fix, Footprint, General Sports Medicine, Healicoil, Healicoil Cons, Microraptor, Minitac, Multifix, Novostitch, Osteoraptor, Other Fixation Cons, Q-Fix, Q-Fix Rotator Cuff Cons, Q-Fix Shoulder Instability Cons, Raptormite, Rci, Regeneten Cons, Softsilk, Solid Screw, Speedlock, Speedscrew, Suturefix, Twinfix, ULTRABRACE, ULTRABRIDGE, Ultrabutton, Ultrabutton Cons, and Xtendobutton.
Medical and surgical instruments and power tools	1,227	4K LENS Cap, Accessories Cap, Accu-Pass, ACUFEX, AET Historic Products, AET Services, AQUA VISION, BIOSURE, BROSTROM, Cannula, CAP-FIX, Clear Trac, CLEAR-TRAC, Coblator 2 Controller, Content Management Cap, Controllers Cap, Displays Cap, DoubleFlo Cap, DoubleFlo Cons, Dyonics 25 Pump Cap, Elite Instruments Cap, ENT Services, Entact Septal Stapler, Fast Fix Capital, Firstpass, Fluid Management, General Sports Medicine, GoFlo Pump Cap, Graftmaster Cap, Graftmaster Cons, Handpieces Cap, Healicoil, Healicoil Cap, Healicoil Instruments Cap, Hip Access Cap, Hip Set/TOC Cap, Hip Set/TOC Cons, Hipstrument Repair Instruments Cons, Insufflation Cap, Insufflation Cons, INTELLIO, Light Source Cap, Mechanical Resection, MICRORAPTOR, Minitape, Misc Accessories & Service, Mosaicplasty Cons, Novostitch, Other Cameras Cap, Other Cartilage Cap, Other Fixation Cons, Other Hip Repair Instruments Cons, Other Instruments Cap, Other Ligament Capital, Other Ligament Repair Cons, Other Mechanical Resection Cons, Other Meniscus Repair Cons, Other Pumps Cap, Other Rotator Cuff Cap, Other Shoulder Instability Cap, Other Shoulder PP Capital, Other Shoulder Repair Cons, Partial Knees, Passing Pins & Guidewires Cons, PIXA, Procise Laryngeal Wands, Pulse Lavage, Q-Fix, Q-Fix Instability Cap, Q-Fix Shoulder Instability Cons, QuadTRAC Cap, QuadTRAC Cons, Quantum 2 Cap, Rapid Rhino, Rci, Reflex Ultra Soft Palate Wand, Reflex Ultra Turbinate Wands, Regeneten Cons, RF Coblation, Scopes Cap, Sinus Dressings, Smartstitch, Speedlock Hip Cap, Speedstitch, Speedstitch Cap, SPIDER, SPIDER 2, Spider Shoulder Cap, Suture Solutions, T - Max Cap, T-MAX, Tonsil & Adenoid Wands, TruNav Cons, Trurepair Cons, Tubing Cons, Turbinator Wands, Twin Fix Instruments Cap, TwinFix Cons, ULTRABRACE, Ultrabraid Cons, ULTRABRIDGE, Ultratape Cons, Visualisation, WEREWOLF, and Werewolf Cap.

Further information, including pricing and contractual details, has been provided to Health NZ procurement personnel. Clinicians interested in further detail on what this proposal means for their hospital should engage with the Health NZ procurement team.

To provide feedback

Send us an email: mikka.nocete@pharmac.govt.nz by 4pm, Monday 25 May 2026.

All feedback received before the closing date will be considered by Pharmac’s Board (or its delegate) prior to making a decision on this proposal.

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Email your feedback

Feedback can be emailed to mikka.nocete@pharmac.govt.nz

Audiences

Other health care professionals
Supplier
Wholesaler