Pharmac

Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 12 June 2026. It includes information on: New updates Resolved Supply Issues Brand Change: colchicine tab 500 mcg (Colgout) A new brand Colchicine Indoco will be funded from 1 July 2026. The current Colgout brand will be delisted (no longer funded) on 30 November 2026 The Colgout brand is supplied in a bottle with a child resistant closure. Th

New medicine supply notices New Pharmacodes listed from 12 June: Benralizumab (Fasenra) New Pharmacode: 2731843 Cefalexin 50 mg/ml (grans for oral liquid) New Pharmacode: 2714086 Pharmacies can claims for June dispensings in June. Brand changes Colchicine (500 mg tablets) Colchicine Indoco will be listed 1 July. A brand switch fee will be available from 1 December. Information for patients, including pictures and a flyer, is available on the website. Thiamine 50mg tablets Fro

From 1 July 2026, Pharmac will take over responsibility for funding medicines used in ambulances. This decision outlines changes to the Pharmaceutical Schedule to support this change in responsibility. Under this decision, we will also fund tenecteplase for use within emergency ambulance services and Primary Responses in Medical Emergencies (PRIME) services. We want to make sure that everyone who needs to know about this decision is aware of it. Please share this informatio

Pharmac is seeking feedback on a proposal to change the funded brand of dapsone tablets, which are currently supplied by Link Pharmaceuticals (Dapsone). We are also seeking feedback on a related change to remove the 25 mg tablet from the Pharmaceutical Schedule due to its discontinuation and replace it with a 50 mg (scored / halveable) tablet. A 100 mg tablet will remain available, but its brand would change. Proposal for the supply of dapsone tablets No changes are proposed

New medicine supply notices Reandron testosterone is changing brand to Gonadron Gonadron will be listed from 1 July. Reandron will remain funded until 1 December. Information (including pictures) is available on the website for affected people. Valaciclovir (Vaclovir) 1,000 mg (Pharmacode: 2483912) Stock of this product will run out. Two s29 alternatives have been listed. Please use the funded alternatives rather than 2 x 500 mg to avoid a supply issue affecting the lower

Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 05 June 2026. It includes information on: New updates Resolved Supply Issues Supply disruption: Colestyramine Powder for Oral Suspension (Sachet) There is a supply disruption affecting the currently listed colestyramine oral sachets, Colestyramine – Mylan S29. From 1 June, Pharmac listed (funded) an alternative Section 29 product: Questran Light (n

Colestyramine (Mylan) (Pharmacode: 2662000) Supplies may be limited from late May until July 2026. An alternative (Pharmacode: 2700026) was funded from 1 June and should be available from Orspec in early June. Kisqali (ribociclib): Storage changes Kisqali will once again be able to be stored at room temperature. More details and a flyer for patients are available on our website. Neocate Gold: Funding issue The Pharmacode for new look Neocate Gold was funded from 1 June. Oestr

There is currently a supply disruption affecting risperidone (Teva) 0.5 mg and 2 mg tablets. This is due to an issue at the manufacturer. To support continuity of care, from 1 June, Pharmac will list (fund) alternative products, Risperidone Sandoz 0.5 mg tab and Risperidone Sandoz 2 mg tab. Please note Risperidone Sandoz tablets are not Medsafe‑approved and must therefore be prescribed and supplied in accordance with Section 29A of the Medicines Act. Further information

Re: Supply disruption: Colestyramine Powder for Oral Suspension (Sachet). There is a supply disruption affecting the currently listed Section 29 colestyramine oral sachets, Colestyramine – Mylan. From 1 June, Pharmac will list an alternative Section 29 product: Questran Light (Neon). This is not a Medsafe‑approved product and must be prescribed in accordance with Section 29 of the Medicines Act. As no Medsafe approved product is currently listed on the Schedule, Section

Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 29 May 2026. It includes information on: New updates Resolved Supply Issues Supply Constraint – TruSteel Infusion Sets There is a global supply constraint affecting TruSteel infusion sets due to issues at a component supplier. This disruption is not specific to New Zealand and is likely to continue for the rest of 2026. It affects all four funded T

We’re writing to let you know that Pharmac is extending the consultation period on the proposed changes to access criteria for type 2 diabetes medicines. In May, we released a proposal to amend the Special Authority criteria for empagliflozin, liraglutide, and dulaglutide. We’ve received a significant amount of feedback so far, which reflects how important access to these medicines is for people living with type 2 diabetes. We’ve also heard that more people would like the opp

New medicine supply notices Fluorouracil inj 50 mg/ml 20 ml and 50 ml vials: (Pharmacodes: 2618435 and 2674092) Accord is out of stock of these products. Paracetamol oral liquid: Lower strength (120 mg per 5 ml)The brand of this product is changing brand from 1 June 2026. Updated medicine supply notices Droperidol inj 2.5 mg per ml, 1 ml ampoule (Pharmacode 2690543) The previously funded brand, PanPharma (Pharmacode:2527138), has been re-listed. There is a small amount of

This is to correct the dates sent out on Friday. Gonadron brand will be listed 1 July 2026 Brand change: We are writing to inform you of a brand change for testosterone undecanoate inj 250 mg per ml, (Reandron) Key Dates: The Gonadron brand of testosterone undecanoate inj 250 mg per ml is to be listed (funded) from 1 July 2026 on the Community Schedule and in Health NZ hospitals. Testosterone undecanoate inj 250 mg per ml (Reandron) brand will be delisted (no longer fun

Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 22 May 2026. It includes information on: New updates Resolved Supply Issues Supply Disruption - Ezetimibe with Simvastatin 10/80 mg (Zimybe) Due to a delay at the manufacturing site, there is a supply issue affecting ezetimibe with simvastatin 10/80 mg combination tablet (Zimybe). From 1 June 2026 Pharmac is funding an alternative product ezetimibe

Brand change: We are writing to inform you of a brand change for testosterone undecanoate inj 250 mg per ml, (Reandron) Key Dates: The Gonadron brand of testosterone undecanoate inj 250 mg per ml is to be listed (funded) from 1 June 2026 on the Community Schedule and in Health NZ hospitals. Testosterone undecanoate inj 250 mg per ml (Reandron) brand will be delisted (no longer funded) 1 November 2026. The active ingredients and excipients are the same as the Reandron bran

Kia ora Pharmac is seeking feedback on a proposal to change brands of meningococcal ACWY, pneumococcal, and influenza vaccines – and widen access to the flu vaccine for all children from 6 months up to 5 years (6-59 months inclusive). We are also proposing to widen access to a vaccine to help prevent people who have already had a serious pneumococcal infection from getting it again. In August 2025, we released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the supply of funded vaccines, e

Kia ora, RE: Supply Disruption - Ezetimibe with Simvastatin 10/80 mg combination tablet (Zimybe) Due to a delay at the manufacturing site, there is a supply issue affecting Ezetimibe with Simvastatin 10/80 mg (Zimybe). From 1 June 2026 Pharmac will fund an alternative product Ezetimibe with Simvastatin 10/80 mg (Vytorin). This is not a Medsafe approved product and should be prescribed and supplied in line with Section 29A of the Medicines Act. Further information, including r

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 common conditions that may have otherwise required a GP visit, including: scabies treatment for children/families oral rehydration treatment for children headlice treatment for children/families pain and fever management for children conjunctivitis treatment for children treatment

Itraconazole (Itrazole) cap 100 mg (Pharmacode 2354322) A section 29 alternative was listed 1 April (Pharmacode: 2705109). Resupply of the approved brand isn’t likely until much later in 2026. Lansoprozole (Lanzsol) 15 mg pack size change: Due to issues at the manufacturing site, stock of Lanzol Relief 15 mg capsules (Pharmacode 2482533) is running low. Pharmac has listed an alternative pack size of the registered product (Pharmacode 2726017). Please note that this product is

Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 15 May 2026. It includes information on: New updates Resolved Supply Issues Supply issue - Itraconazole (Itrazole) cap 100 mg Due to manufacturing delays, a supply issue is affecting itraconazole 100 mg capsules. An alternative product Itraconazole Crescent was listed in 2025.This product is not Medsafe approved and will need to be prescribed and