Article – Ian Powell The Pharmaceutical Management Agency (known as Pharmac) is a crown entity that decides, on behalf of New Zealands district health boards (DHBs), which medicines and pharmaceutical products are subsidised for use in the community and public hospitals (I use the … The Pharmaceutical Management Agency (known as Pharmac) is a crown entity that decides, on behalf of New Zealand’s district health boards (DHBs), which medicines and pharmaceutical products are subsidised for use in the community and public hospitals (I use the words ‘medicines’ and ‘drugs’ interchangeably below). DHBs are currently responsible for the provision of community and hospital healthcare for defined geographic populations (the Government intends to abolish them on 1 July 2022).