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Enhance your Dermatology Expertise: Join Our Online Session on Saturday, 16 May. Skin conditions are among the most frequent presentations in primary care. This 4-hour webinar brings together top New Zealand dermatology specialists to help you navigate these complexities with confidence. What to expect: Expert-led, primary care–focused updates on recognising and managing common dermatology presentations seen in everyday practice. Practical guidance on diagnosing and treating

Conflict in the Middle East Suppliers are working closely with Pharmac to reduce any disruption to people in New Zealand. Where issues arise, we will communicate them on our website and through this email. Conflict in the Middle East: Impact on the supply chain New medicine supply notices Ensure: Pack size change Ensure powders are changing from 850 g to 800 g. The price remains the same. New Pharmacodes are listed from 1 April. New packs will start arriving during June 2026

We are writing to inform you of - Supply issue: Proctosedyl suppository. New alternative listed: Scheriproct suppository. Key messages: The supplier (AFT) has informed Pharmac that due to a delayed shipment that Proctosedyl suppositories are out of stock. Scheriproct suppositories have been listed (funded) on the Pharmaceutical Schedule. Scheriproct suppositories will be available in New Zealand by early April. Ultraproct suppositories have been out of stock for a long period

Kia ora This link will take you to the proposal to award Principal Supply Status for permanent coronary drug-eluting stents to Medtronic New Zealand Limited. A list of products included in the proposal is attached . Pharmac welcomes feedback on this proposal. To provide feedback, please submit it in writing by 4pm Tuesday 28 April 2026 to Sam.Edlund@Pharmac.govt.nz Ngā mihi, Sam Edlund | Procurement Manager _______________________________________________________________

Our latest webinars and podcasts for you: Whole of life protection: A focus on adult vaccination WEBINAR 14 April: Nikki Turner on the importance of adult immunisation as part of comprehensive preventive care in primary practice. Register here Redefining insomnia management WEBINAR 21 April: David Cunnington, a specialist sleep physician, will review contemporary insomnia management, including CBT-I, and discuss the role of medications, including lemborexant, a newer agen

Please see attached latest Research Review

Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 20 March 2026. It includes information on: New updates Resolved Supply Issues Enoxaparin inj 100 mg per ml (1 ml syringe) (Clexane) For Primary Response in Medical Emergencies PRIME services Only the Enoxaparin inj 100 mg per ml (1 ml syringe) is funded on a Practitioner Supply Order (PSO) with an endorsement limiting funding to PRIME indications.

Acarbose (Accarb) 50 mg and 100 mg tablets Delays to shipments means there is limited stock available of the acarbose 50 mg (Pharmacode: 2402408) and 100 mg (Pharmacode: 2402416) tablets. Next shipment is expected by the end of the month. Dexamfetamine (Noumed) 5 mg tab (Pharmacode: 2647516) Stock levels are low at the supplier. An alternative is listed from 1 April 2026. It is Medsafe registered but contains gluten. Epoetin alfa (Binocrit) inj 40,000 iu in 1 ml (Pharmacod

About the Role Join us in making a difference in the lives of older people through expert, compassionate care. Equinox Health Ltd is seeking an experienced and motivated Nurse Practitioner to join our team providing care within residential aged care settings. This is a part-time position (approximately 12 hours per week), offering flexibility and the opportunity to work autonomously while delivering high-quality, patient-centred care to older adults. You will be working along

We’re seeking NPs for contract roles across NZ to provide weekly rounds to Aged Residential Care (ARC) facilities, delivering high-quality care to older patients with complex needs. We currently have opportunities across Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Manawatu, Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, Greater Wellington, Blenheim and Wanaka. You will work closely with onsite nurses and care teams to: Provide excellent clinical care to ARC residents (rest home level care and a

Pharmac have now gone live with public consultation feedback on the Exceptional Circumstances Framework (the Framework) including the Named Patient Pharmaceutical Assessment (NPPA) . We would appreciate your help in sharing this consultation with your networks, particularly anyone who may have experience of, or interest in, the Exceptional Circumstances Framework. Patients, whānau, clinicians, and others have told us that the current Framework is no longer fit for purpose and

Issue 338 - 19 March 2026 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

The benefit of beta‑blockers after myocardial infarction in patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF ≥50%) is uncertain. This individual‑patient meta‑analysis combined five open‑label randomised trials, including 17,801 patients without other indications for beta-blockers 1 . Participants were assigned to beta‑blocker therapy or no therapy, and the primary outcome was a composite of all‑cause death, myocardial infarction, or heart failure. After a med

We are getting in touch to let you know that Pharmac is seeking feedback on the Exceptional Circumstances Framework (the Framework), and we’d like to hear from you. The Framework outlines how Pharmac considers funding requests for people with exceptional clinical circumstances when those circumstances fall outside the Pharmaceutical Schedule funding process. Patients, whānau, clinicians, and others have told us that the current Framework is no longer fit for purpose and can

Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 13 March 2026. It includes information on: New updates Resolved Supply Issues Supply issue: hydrocortisone 5mg + cinchocaine 5mg (Proctosedyl) Suppositories An expected shipment has been delayed. This has resulted in a supplier out of stock of Proctosedyl suppositories. Proctosedyl ointment is available. Ultraproct suppositories have been out of st

Hurry and secure your place this weekend We invite all primary care professionals to New Zealand’s premier professional development event for general practice and primary care. Event Overview: 📅 March 2026 21-22 Due Drop Events Centre, Manukau Programme highlights : Hear from leading experts and our partners the Royal NZ College of GPs, the Royal NZ College of Urgent Care, and Allevia Hospitals - with a line-up that blends essential updates, fresh perspectives, and practice-

New medicine supply notices Flumetasone pivalate (Locorten-Vioform) ear drops (Pharmacode 259799) There will be an out of stock until at least August 2026. The alternatives are Kenacomb (Pharmcode: 253634) and Sofradex (a part charge applies to Sofradex) (Pharmacode: 208728). Sodium Fusidate [fusidic acid] (Foban) Oint 2% (Pharmacode 2556189) The ointment may go out of stock. There is ample supply of the cream (Pharmacode: 2556170) to use as an alternative. Updated medicine

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. Beacon Medical GSC THC20 CBD≤1 has been verified as meeting the minimum quality sta

From 1 July 2026, Pharmac will take over responsibility for funding medicines used in ambulances. This consultation seeks feedback on changes to the Pharmaceutical Schedule which supports this decision. Bringing ambulance medicines into the Pharmaceutical Schedule will help to ensure a more coordinated approach to funding and procurement decisions for emergency medicines, whether they are used in hospitals, ambulances or by PRIME providers. Under this proposal, we would also

We have made the decision to widen access to brentuximab vedotin for systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma from 1 April 2026 . We expect this will improve the lives of around 12-13 people in New Zealand per year.Thank you to all those who provided feedback in response to the consultation, your feedback is appreciated. You can find more information on this decision on the Pharmac website including our responses to key points raised by consultees. Decision to widen access to