Pharmac

Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 2 October 2026. It includes information on: Reminders Resolved Supply Issues Discontinuation Reminder: Sodium valproate (Epilim) 100mg crushable tablets Sanofi expects that stock will be available until the end of November 2026. Please transition affected patients as soon as possible. For more information Epilim discontinuation on Pharmac website C

Contents Expanding Extended Pharmacy Services New supply notices Updated supply notices Consultations and notifications Monthly updates Decision to expand Extended Pharmacy Services (EPS) From 1 October 2026 the range of funded medicines community pharmacies can provide directly to people in their communities will be expanded further to include: Treatments for children with mild dermatitis Treatments for children with bacterial and fungal skin infections Treatments for childr

Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 25 September 2026. It includes information on: New updates Reminders Resolved Supply Issues New updates New listing: Rubifen LA for ADHD and narcolepsy From 1 October 2026, Rubifen LA capsules will be funded for people with ADHD and narcolepsy who meet existing eligibility criteria. This is a generic version of Ritalin LA, in the same strengths (10

Health New Zealand and Pharmac have made the decision to extend pharmacy services. This decision means community pharmacies will be able to provide a wider range of funded clinical services for additional common conditions that may have otherwise required a GP visit, including: Treatments for children with skin infections Treatments for children with oral thrush Treatments for vaginal thrush Oral contraceptives Mild Dermatitis Changes will be made to the Pharmaceutical Sched

Please see below updates from Pharmac. Supply issue Fluconazole 150 mg capsule Sumatriptan 50 mg and 100mg tablets Sildenafil 25 mg tablets Ezetimibe with simvastatin (Zimybe) combination tablets (all strengths) Risperidone 1mg tablets Brand change Entecavir 0.5 mg tablets Discontinuation Reminder of insulin discontinuations. Prazosin discontinuation and new brand, all strengths Digoxin oral liq 50 mcg per ml 1.Supply Issue: Fluconazole 150 mg capsules There is a supp

New supply notices Brand change: Cyclopentolate and tropicamide eye drops These eye drops are changing brand to Minims (funded from 1 Oct 26). The new brand comes in single-use vials. Details of the new brand are on the website. Cyclopentolate and tropicamide eye drops Brand change: Dapsone (25 mg and 100 mg) The Dapsone brand is changing to Dapsomed (funded from 1 Oct 26). Details about the differences between the two brands are available on the website. A brand switch fee w

From 1 February 2027, Pharmac will fund additional strengths of levothyroxine tablets to support more flexible and accurate dosing for people with hypothyroidism. The change follows clinical advice that people taking levothyroxine may require precise dose adjustments, and that currently funded strengths may not always support the most convenient dosing regimen. The new strength options may reduce the need for alternate-day dosing regimens, and the need to combine multiple tab

Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 11 September 2026. It includes information on: New updates Reminders Resolved Supply Issues New updates Widening of Access: rosuvastatin removal of Special Authority From 1 October 2026, rosuvastatin will no longer require a Special Authority for funded access. This means it is open listed and may be prescribed funded to any New Zealander when cli

Re: Supply Issue - mirtazapine 30 mg tablets There is a supply issue affecting mirtazapine 30 mg tablets and stock is currently very limited. We are aware that stock availability varies across the country, and some regions may experience temporary out-of-stocks. The next shipment is expected to arrive in New Zealand tomorrow, 22 September 2026. Pharmac is working closely with the supplier and wholesalers to expedite distribution once the shipment arrives. We recognise

Pharmac is seeking feedback on a proposal to widen and simplify access to four medicines for people with high blood pressure and bacterial infections.Pharmac is proposing to: Fund ceftolozane with tazobactam for people with serious multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Widen access to two medicines, bedaquiline and linezolid, for people with non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections, which are rare and difficult-to-treat bacterial infections. Widen access to captopril oral

Pharmac Update: Primary Care Prescribers | 11 September 2026 Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 11 September 2026. It includes information on: New updates Resolved Supply Issues New updates Supply issue: olanzapine ODT 5 mg tablet (Zypine ODT) There is a supply issue affecting olanzapine ODT 5 mg tablets (Zypine ODT) due to an issue at the manufacturing site. Pharmac previously l

Please see below updates from Pharmac. Funding changes Escitalopram 10mg tablets Reminder of Coversyl change of salt Perindopril erbumine to Perindopril arginine Reminder of discontinuation Epilim tab 100mg crushable 1.Changes to funded Escitalopram 10mg tablets From 1 February 2027, Ipca-Escitalopram 10 mg and 20 mg tablets will be the only funded brands of escitalopram listed (funded) on the Pharmaceutical Schedule. As a result, the currently listed escitalopram (

Pharmac is seeking feedback on a proposal to widen and simplify access to four medicines for people with high blood pressure and bacterial infections.Pharmac is proposing to: Fund ceftolozane with tazobactam for people with serious multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Widen access to two medicines, bedaquiline and linezolid, for people with non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections, which are rare and difficult-to-treat bacterial infections. Widen access to captopril oral

Pharmac is seeking feedback on a proposal to widen access to febuxostat from 1 February 2027 for the treatment of gout in people whose symptoms cannot be adequately controlled with allopurinol, or who can’t tolerate allopurinol. Currently, people must trial both allopurinol and probenecid before becoming eligible for funded febuxostat. Pharmac is proposing to remove the requirement to trial probenecid. This would give patients and clinicians two options for second-line treat

We’re writing to remind you that Pharmac is funding a new brand of methylphenidate – Rubifen LA – from 1 October 2026. This decision is part of our work to strengthen supply, provide more treatment options for people with ADHD and narcolepsy and support the prescriber eligibility changes on 1 February 2026 for ADHD stimulant medicines. Supply information We are funding five strengths of Rubifen LA from 1 October 2026. 10 mg and 20 mg strengths are available. 30 mg should be a

Clexane: new ERIS safety lock mechanism From September 2026, Clexane injections will change to the ERIS safety lock mechanism. Links to the suppliers’ guides for clinicians and consumers are available on the website. Clexane: new ERIS safety lock mechanism Mercaptopurine (Puri-Nethol) 50 mg tablet The supplier may run out of Puri-Nethol brand mercaptopurine 50 mg tablets at the end of September. A section 29A alternative has been listed from 10 September 2026. Mercaptopurine

Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 4 September 2026. It includes information on: New updates Resolved Supply Issues Supply issue: Bicillin LA injection. Please reserve stock for children under 13 years We notified you in June that the supply of Benzathine benzylpenicillin (Bicillin LA) Inj 900 mg (1.2 million units) in 2.3 ml syringe, will be significantly delayed. Key Dates: The n

We are writing to update you on current issues. Change of Salt Coversyl tablets Supply Issues Mercaptopurine 50mg tablets (Puri-nethol) Trusteel Infusion Sets Reminder Disopyramide phosphate capsule 100mg (Rythmodan - Neon) Brand Change/ Delisting Changes to funded Escitalopram 10mg tablets Reminder of discontinuations5 Dexcom G6 Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) Epilim 100mg tab crushable Enhanced safety feature 1. Clexane injections. 1. Coversyl tablets change o

Supply issue: Bicillin LA injection. Please reserve stock for children under 13 years Supply issue: Bicillin LA injection We notified you in June that the supply of Benzathine benzylpenicillin (Bicillin LA) Inj 900 mg (1.2 million units) in 2.3 ml syringe, will be significantly delayed. Key Dates: The next shipment of Bicillin LA is not expected until mid-November 2026. An alternative has been available - Benzathine benzylpenicillin (Inj 900 mg (1.2 million units) Benzeta

New supply notices Ipratropium bromide nebules (Nebuliser soln, 250 mcg per ml, 2 ml ampoule): (Pharmacode: 2724863) The latest shipment of Viatris brand ipratropium nebules has been delayed. The next shipment of nebules is expected to arrive by the end of August. It will take a further 2 or 3 weeks to reach pharmacies around the country. > Ipratropium bromide nebules (Nebuliser soln, 250 mcg per ml, 2 ml ampoule) Levetiracetam (Everet) Tab 1,000 mg (Pharmacode: 2479567) Due