Pharmac

Pharmac has confirmed it will fund silver diamine fluoride for people accessing dental services through public hospitals, and the ‘Health New Zealand Community Oral Health Service’ for children and some adolescents. This decision follows recent consultation and is expected to benefit children, elderly patients, and those who may find some traditional dental procedures challenging. Silver diamine fluoride is a topical dental treatment, combining ionic silver and fluoride. It

Kia ora   Brand Change: We are writing to inform you of the brand change for docusate sodium 50 mg with sennosides 8 mg tablet.   Key Messages: Solax a new brand of docusate sodium 50 mg with sennosides 8 mg, will be listed from 1 December 2025. The Laxsol brand will be delisted 1 May 2026. Please support your patients with this change. Although we do not anticipate problems, we are aware that the Laxsol brand has been available in NZ for many years. The Solax tablets and Lax

Pharmac Decision: Silver diamine fluoride to be funded from 1 December Pharmac has confirmed it will fund silver diamine fluoride for people accessing dental services through public hospitals, and the ‘Health New Zealand Community Oral Health Service’ for children and some adolescents. This decision follows recent consultation and is expected to benefit children, elderly patients, and those who may find some traditional dental procedures challenging. Silver diamine fluoride

Kia ora,Pharmac is funding five medicines through a multiproduct agreement with Roche. These medicines will provide new or improved treatment options for people with multiple sclerosis, eye conditions, breast cancer and lung cancer.The medicines we are funding are: Ocrelizumab (Ocrevus SC): a new injection option for multiple sclerosis Pertuzumab with trastuzumab (Phesgo): a new combined injection for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer Faricimab (Vabysmo): for diabetic ma

Kia ora, Pharmac has amended the 2025/26 Invitation to Tender with the following updates: Added:  cetirizine hydrochloride oral liq 1 mg per ml Amended:   midazolam inj 2.5 mg per ml, buccal syringe → midazolam inj 2.5 mg, buccal syringe midazolam inj 5 mg per ml, buccal syringe → midazolam inj 5 mg, buccal syringe midazolam inj 7.5 mg per ml, buccal syringe → midazolam inj 7.5 mg, buccal syringe midazolam inj 10 mg per ml, buccal syringe → midazolam inj 10 mg, buccal syr

Kia ora, The 2025/26 Invitation to Tender has been released on the In-Tend e-portal . A complete copy of the 2025/26 ITT is available on our website . Ngā mihi, Stef Moir and Jade Matthews-Wanden | Tender Analysts Te Pātaka Whaioranga | Pharmac | PO Box 10 254 | Level 9, 40 Mercer Street, Wellington | P: 0800 660 050 |  www.pharmac.govt.nz

Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 31 October 2025. It includes information on:  New updates R esolved Supply Issues Supply issue: codeine phosphate tab all strengths Noumed, the supplier of Codeine Phosphate tablets, has advised that the 30 mg presentation is currently out of stock. Limited stock remains of the 15 mg and 60 mg presentations. New stock will be available in the week c

Update: nirmatrelvir with ritonavir tablets (Paxlovid) From 1 September 2025 there were access criteria changes for funded COVID-19 antivirals (nirmatrelvir with ritonavir tablets (Paxlovid) and remdesivir injection (Veklury)) These changes can be seen on our website Pharmac webpage Covid-19 antivirals Further changes for prescribers to note: Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) was previously contraindicated in patients with an eGFR < 30 mL/min/1.73 m 2  but now can be consider

New community medicine supply notices Codeine (15 mg, 30 mg, 60 mg tablets)  The supplier has run out of the 30mg due to shipping delays. There are limited supplies of the 15 mg and 60 mg tablets. Pharmac is working closely with the supplier and wholesalers to manage the supply issue.  Desmopressin acetate (Desmopressin-PH&T) Nasal spray  (Pharmacode: 2702916) Due to manufacturing delays and shipping issues, AFT is out of stock of this product. Other presentations of desmopre

Kia ora, Please follow this  link  to our website for the 30 October 2025 Tender Notification. Ngā mihi, Stefanie Moir | Tender Analyst Te Pātaka Whaioranga | Pharmac | PO Box 10 254 | Level 9, 40 Mercer Street, Wellington | P: 0800 660 050 |  www.pharmac.govt.nz

Kia ora.   We are writing to update you on the constrained supply of oxytocin injection 10 IU per mL, 1 mL ampoule (Pharmacode: 2577046) from mid to late November 2025.   Medsafe has approved a labelling exemption for an alternative German product. The product should be available to order by the end of October 2025. The product is identical except the label on the ampoule is in German (as shown below). It will come in the standard New Zealand-labelled carton, and it will have

Pharmac has confirmed it will fund an additional extended-release brand of methylphenidate - Methylphenidate Sandoz XR - from 1 December 2025.  This decision follows recent consultation and will help increase supply and provide more options for people who need ADHD treatments. Methylphenidate Sandoz XR will be available in the same strengths as Concerta – 18 mg, 27 mg, 36 mg, and 54 mg. It will be funded alongside currently available brands, under existing eligibility criteri

Heparin sodium inj 5,000 iu per ml, 5 ml ampoule (Brand change)  (Pharmacode: 2651815) The funded brand of heparin sodium injections (5,000 iu/ml 5 ml ampoules) is changing from Panpharma to Pfizer. Pfizer will be listed from 1 November 2025. A flyer for patients is available. Nonacog gamma [Recombinant Factor IX] (Rixubis) Inj 2,000 iu vial  (Pharmacode: 2487950) Due to recent high demand, Takeda, the supplier has low stock of the inj 2,000 iu vial of Rixubis. Takeda is wor

From 1 November 2025, Pharmac will be updating its rare disorders policy principles by broadening the definition of a rare disorder. The new definition will be: “a medical condition with a specific pattern of clinical signs, symptoms and findings that affects fewer than or equal to 1 in 2,000 people in Aotearoa New Zealand.” This change aligns Pharmac’s policy with the Aotearoa New Zealand Rare Disorders Strategy 2024 and reflects the feedback we received from stakeholders a

We want your feedback on a proposal to fund silver diamine fluoride for people accessing dental services through Health New Zealand public hospitals, and the ‘Health New Zealand Community Oral Health Service’ for children and some adolescents. Silver diamine fluoride is a topical dental treatment, combining ionic silver and fluoride. It can stop the progression of existing cavities and reduce tooth sensitivity. It is used in hospitals and community dental clinics and can only

Humapen Savvio: Update  Eli Lilly has made changes to how it supplies its Humapen Savvio insulin pen.  Imiquimod: New look  (Pharmacode: 2543907) Imiquimod is changing packaging style from a sachet to a "stick". Pictures and a patient flyer are available. Rizatriptan (Rizamelt) dispersible tab 10 mg  (Pharmacode: 2394634) Due to an increase in demand and delays at the factory, there is a supply issue affecting Rizamelt tablets.  Rosuvastatin (10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg tablets)  Via

Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week...

Candesartan cilexetil (Candestar) Tab 32 mg  (Pharmacode: 2380439) Due to delays at the factory, the supplier is out of stock of this...

Discontinuation:   We are writing to inform you that Sanofi is discontinuing supply of ketoprofen (Oruvail) SR Capsules 200mg.    Key...

We are writing to inform you of that there has been a delay with a recent shipment of Condyline solution 0.5%   Key messages: AFT...