Medicines New Zealand has for 10 years held a Parliamentary Dinner that current Ministers of Health have hosted. Guest speakers have included both national and international experts who provided perspectives on international standards, treatments, collaborations, and advancements in health.

In 2022 the Medicines New Zealand Parliamentary Dinner "Challenges & Opportunities with Genomic Medicine" set the scene for the "why" New Zealand needs to move forward with embedding a precision health approach and genomic medicine into our health system. Last year's panel discussion clearly presented the benefits for both patients and the New Zealand health system.

In 2023 we revisited the topic to explore where Aotearoa is a year later with the mahi of embracing the challenges and opportunities of genomic medicine.

Our panellists for 2023 Ms Huti Watson, Dr Ben Lawrence, Mr Ben Te Aika and Professor David Thomas who shared their thoughts on "how" New Zealand can move forward with this critically important innovation for better health.

You can find photos of the evening, watch a highlights video and a video of all three panel sessions using the buttons below. 

The 2022 Medicines New Zealand Parliamentary Dinner was hosted by the Minister of Health, Hon Andrew Little. The Dinner was attended by Members of Parliament, health specialists, researchers, patient group representatives, pharmaceutical representatives, and industry associations.

The 2022 format was a panel discussion 

Challenges & Opportunities with Genomic Medicine.

The 2022 panellists:

• Mr Richard Vines, Founder & CEO – Rare Cancers Australia & Deputy Chair – Omico
• Professor Cris Print, University of Auckland, Molecular Medicine & Pathology
• Ms Huti Puketapu Watson,(Ngāti Porou, Tainui) Senior Fellow, Atlantic Fellowship for Social Equity (AFSE)
• Mr David Bunker, Executive Director of Health Translation Queensland & Chair of InGeNA

The MC introduced panel members to the audience, and an in-depth panel discussion followed detailing the benefits that genomic medicine can provide to New Zealand patients and the New Zealand health system.

You can watch all of the panel sessions as well as a highlights video below.

Watch: 2022 highlights video

Watch: Welcome and speech from Minister of Health, Hon Andrew Little

Watch: Panel session one

Watch: Panel session two

Watch: Panel session three

The 2020 Parliamentary Dinner had a different format from previous years, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. We were unable to invite an overseas guest speaker, so we arranged a panel discussion on a New Zealand-specific theme Medicines Inequity – the problems and potential solutions”

Our expert panelists were:

• Mr Todd Krieble – Deputy CEO, New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER)
• Dr Apisalome Talemaitoga – Pasifika GP Network
•  Ms Leanne Te Karu – Pharmacist Prescriber
• Dr Nina Scott – Public Health Doctor

Watch the 2020 highlights video

The 2019 Parliamentary Dinner guest speaker Sir Andrew Dillon, CEO (now former) of National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) UK, discussed how innovation and adoption is a shared challenge for industry and health systems.

Watch the 2019 highlights video.

The 2018 Parliamentary Dinner guest speakers Professor John Zalcberg and Richard Vines, Co-Chairs of the National Oncology Alliance held an open format discussion about changing the health system: evolution or revolution?

Watch the 2018 highlights video.