Heart stents secured through GETS generates savings
Sourcing material to help people have better health outcomes was aided by GETS and how it enables transparent communication in a competitive process.
Pharmac Procurement Manager Sam Edlund and Pharmac Device Category Manager Mikka Nocete worked on the project that means there is ongoing access to safe and clinically appropriate drug eluting stents. Photo: Supplied
Pharmac used GETS to support their recent tender to help New Zealanders’ cardiac health.
Pharmac Device Category Manager Mikka Nocete and Procurement Manager Sam Edlund were part of the team that ran the competitive procurement process to source drug eluting stents (DES).
These are tiny, mesh-like metal tubes that get placed inside narrowed coronary arteries during a procedure called angioplasty.
Mikka says for patients, that means there is ongoing access to safe and clinically appropriate DES for treatment. By securing these devices at a lower cost, savings can be reinvested into health services and emerging technologies, helping to enhance care and support better outcomes.
The stents are placed in narrowed or blocked heart arteries to restore blood flow and help prevent future blockages.
Sam said that in 2025, Pharmac posted a Request for Proposals (RFP) on GETS for DES to obtain quality product at competitive pricing.
"We found GETS straightforward and easy to use.
"It allowed us to publish the opportunity and supporting content as well as receive and manage all supplier responses in one place."
GETS also supported transparent communication with suppliers by allowing them to ask questions, view Pharmac’s responses, and see questions raised by others.
"Overall, GETS worked well for our process and enabled suppliers to actively participate in the competitive process."
Pharmac worked with the Interventional Cardiology Advisory Group (ICAG), a representative health group, whose input was instrumental in shaping the procurement approach used. During the evaluation phase ICAG provided critical clinical advice to ensure the DES supplied by the successful supplier is clinically suitable for a 65% market share.
This collaboration supported the competitive process that resulted in the supply of clinically appropriate stents at lower pricing.