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Dr Anthony Jordan resigned as a Pharmac director on Friday following a government directive that Pharmac stop including Te Tiriti o Waitangi in its decision-making.
photo: YouTube/Ministry of Health
A Māori health advocate says the resignation of the head of Pharmac is a loss for the medicines purchasing body.
Dr Anthony Jordan announced on Friday that he “cannot in good conscience” work for Pharmac as directed Stop including Te Tiriti o Waitangi in its decision making.
Jordan joined the Pharmac board as a director in December 2021 and his term will end in December 2024.
Jordan told Radio New Zealand on Friday there was clear evidence to support continuing to include the treaty in decision-making.
Former Te Aka Whai Ora chief medical officer Rawiri McKree Jansen said Jordan was someone with a wealth of clinical experience.
“Dr Jordan has made an incredible contribution to the health system and I am very grateful for the work he has done and I am really sorry that he has had to take this action and resign from the Pharmac board because he has truly made a huge contribution.”
McKree Jansen said there had been concerns about the government’s Pharmac directive.
In a letter to the chairman of Pharmac’s board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour set out his expectations for the agency.
“Pharmac’s role should be focused on delivering better health outcomes, based on sound data and evidence, in accordance with its statutory duties,” he wrote.
Seymour previously said he respected Jordan’s resignation because if someone disagrees with the direction of an organization, “the respectable thing to do is to speak out publicly and then resign and allow others who agree with that direction to continue.”
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