Empowering New Zealand Nurses for Excellence in Healthcare

We’re seeking NPs for contract roles across the Wellington region to provide weekly rounds to Aged Residential Care (ARC) facilities, delivering high-quality care to older patients with complex needs.   You will work closely with onsite nurses and care teams to: Provide excellent clinical care to ARC residents (rest home level care and above).  Complete regular scheduled visits onsite, with key tasks including new admission assessments, acute care, regular examinations, and medication reviews...

The Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Regulations 2019 (the Regulations) set the minimum quality standard that medicinal cannabis products and ingredients must meet before they can be supplied in New Zealand. Importers, manufacturers, and suppliers must apply for assessment and provide evidence to the Medicinal Cannabis Agency to verify that their products meet the minimum quality standard. Sunrise T21.1 has been verified as meeting the minimum quality standard. More information on the...

Pharmac is seeking feedback on a proposal to widen access to nivolumab and ipilimumab for people with stage 3B to stage 4 melanoma that can be removed with surgery. If approved, funded access to these medicines would be widened from 1 May 2026. For more information on this consultation, read the full proposal to widen access to nivolumab and ipilimumab for resectable melanoma We welcome your feedback. Consultation is open until 5pm Monday 9 March 2026. Please send your feedback to...

Gisborne Hospital Permanent, full-time role A rare opportunity to lead and shape a high-impact outpatient service, drive innovative models of care, and make a meaningful difference for the Tairāwhiti community while enjoying the lifestyle benefits of living in Gisborne Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders. About the role We are looking for an experienced and...

Just over 3 weeks to go!  Goodfellow Symposium 2026 In the meantime, here are our latest webinars and podcasts:  Sexuality & Intimacy Workshop FACE-TO-FACE WORKSHOP in AUCKLAND 26 & 27 February: Join Allyson Waite for a 2-day workshop designed to extend your knowledge regarding sexuality and intimacy.   Register here   Whole of life protection: A focus on adult vaccination WEBINAR 3 March: Nikki Turner on the importance of adult immunisation as part of comprehensive preventive care in...

Pharmac is seeking feedback on a proposal to widen access to nivolumab and ipilimumab for people with stage 3B to stage 4 melanoma that can be removed with surgery. If approved, funded access to these medicines would be widened from 1 May 2026. For more information on this consultation, read the full proposal to widen access to nivolumab and ipilimumab for resectable melanoma We welcome your feedback. Consultation is open until 5pm Monday 9 March 2026. Please send your feedback to...

We are writing to inform you that from 1 March 2026, the following treatments will be available in the community via listing in Section B of the Pharmaceutical schedule:   For Primary Response in Medical Emergencies PRIME services Droperidol inj 2.5 mg per ml (1 ml ampoule) Glucose inj 5% (100 ml bag) Glucose inj 10% (500 ml bag) Ketamine inj 100 mg per ml (2 ml vial) Methoxyflurane solution for inhalation 999 mg per g (3 ml bottle and plastic inhaler, and 3 ml bottles) Tranexamic acid inj...

Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 20 February 2026. It includes information on:  New updates Resolved Supply Issues Improving access to treatments in the community for trauma and medical emergencies, and ketamine for palliative care From 1 March 2026, the following treatments will be available and funded on the Community Schedule: For Primary Response in Medical Emergencies PRIME services Droperidol...

New medicine supply notices Chloramphenicol (Devatis) Eye ointment 1% (Pharmacode: 2576902) Supplies of this product are low due to a shortage of the active ingredient. The eye drops are available as an alternative.  Dexamethasone phosphate (Medsurge) Inj 4 mg per ml, 2 ml ampoule  (Pharmacode: 2690535) The supplier has limited stock of the 2 ml ampoule. There is stock of the 1 ml ampoule. Olanzapine (Zypine ODT) 10 mg orodispersible tablets (Pharmacode: 2439840) Due to manufacturing and...

Breakfast with a show! On both days of the Symposium, we'll serve breakfast alongside great talks. Your only challenge will be deciding which to go to.On Saturday morning you have a choice of: Winter readiness: Respiratory management essentials, with James Wethasinghe Moving our A into G for CKM health, with Walaa Saweirs Sunday's offering: Cardiovascular risk after COPD exacerbations in NZ and the role of triple therapy, with Jeff Harrison and William Good The 6th Anniversary: Covid, you've...

Supply Issue:   We are writing to inform you that the supplier Teva has advised Pharmac that it is unable to provide teriparatide injection. Pharmac are listing an alternate product.   Key Dates: The Teva brand will be unavailable from the end of February 2026. The resupply date is not yet confirmed. An alternative - Forteo brand will be listed (funded) on the Pharmaceutical Schedule from 1 March 2026   Key messages: The Forteo brand was previously supplied to the New Zealand market from 2011...

Welcome to the fortnightly Health Improvement and Innovation Digest. The Digest has links to key evidence of interest, with access to new content arranged by topic. You can forward this newsletter to others who may be interested in receiving it. They can register and subscribe here . You can also access other recent issues of the digest here. If you have any queries, please email us at  library@health.govt.nz Article Access For articles that aren't open access, contact your Health NZ district...

This meta-analysis included pooled data from 51 trials involving 358,325 participants, of whom 4.4% had isolated diastolic hypertension (IDH) 1 .  Over 4.2 years, reducing systolic pressure by 5 mmHg lowered major cardiovascular events to a similar degree in people with and without IDH. Treatment effects did not vary by baseline diastolic pressure, cardiovascular history, age, prior medication, or measurement method.  The study found no evidence that BP-lowering therapy is more, or less...

From 1 March 2026 Pharmac is funding ferric derisomaltose (Monofer) in hospitals for people who have experienced serious reactions after other iron infusions. In January, we consulted on a proposal to fund ferric derisomaltose (Monofer) in hospitals for people who have developed hypophosphataemia after an iron infusion. The feedback we have received was supportive. However, clinicians told us a small number of patients who experience serious reactions to other funded iron transfusions would...

Pharmac is seeking feedback on a proposal to fund two new treatment combinations for people with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), a type of blood cancer. Under this proposal, venetoclax with ibrutinib and venetoclax with obinutuzumab would be funded as first‑line treatment options from 1 May 2026. These combinations aim to give people access to targeted therapies earlier, supporting longer‑lasting remission and reducing the need for hospital visits. We have heard from...

From 1 March 2026 Pharmac is funding ferric derisomaltose (Monofer) in hospitals for people who have experienced serious reactions after other iron infusions. In January, we consulted on a proposal to fund ferric derisomaltose (Monofer) in hospitals for people who have developed hypophosphataemia after an iron infusion. The feedback we have received was supportive. However, clinicians told us a small number of patients who experience serious reactions to other funded iron transfusions would...

Kia ora ,The countdown is on to International Rare Disease Day on 28 February, which also marks the beginning of Rare Disorders Month - and we’re excited to see how you will Glow Up and Show Up for Rare  this March! We've made it super easy to join the campaign with our new fundraising platform. Simply sign up  to create your own fundraising page and decide how you would like to #GlowUpShowUp for rare. From morning teas to movie nights, or perhaps even a personal challenge - there are so many...

Kia ora koutou, OUR LATEST TE WHATA KURA UPDATE – FEBRUARY 2026 We are pleased to share our latest Te Whata Kura newsletter, attached to this email. It includes updates on febrile neutropenia and maternal guidelines, as well as links to promotional and support materials.  You can access Te Whata Kura here:   https://tewhatakura.nz   Please share this newsletter widely across your networks, including clinicians, committees, organisations, and professional bodies involved with antimicrobial...

Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington is currently recruiting for two Nurse Practitioners to teach into the Master of Nursing Science and join Te Puna Hauora - School of Health. Each position is part-time (0.5 FTE) and on a two-year fixed-term contract. Please click on the links below for further information, the role descriptions and salary details. Expiry date is 4 March 2026. HLTH543 RN Prescribing Practicum and HLTH517 Diagnostics and Therapeutics:...