Government agency Pharmac and two Bay of Plenty based Whanau Ora providers are joining forces to help improve the way medicine is used by Maori families.
The groups, Nga Mataapuna Oranga Whanau Ora Collective in Tauranga and Te Ao Marama Whanau Ora Collective Trust in Opotiki, will sign an agreement with the agency next week.
Pharmac looks after public funding of pharmaceuticals, and also develops programmes to help people better understand how to use rongoa (medicines) to improve their health.
Its Maori responsiveness manager Atene Andrews said it wanted to work alongside whanau so programmes were delivered effectively with the help of whanau ora collectives.
The agreement between the government agency and the two collectives will be reviewed after three years.
