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Kia ora koutou As we approach the end of the 2025, I want to acknowledge the dedicated and hard-working health workforce, who have worked tirelessly across the country to improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders. While our health system faces challenges, good progress has been made this year in a range of areas that are key to improving New Zealanders' health outcomes. This week’s reporting against health targets highlights some of this progress. Key improvements for

Ministry of Health update on puberty blockers On 4 December we provided an update on the Government’s regulations for puberty blocker prescribing which were announced on 19 November 2025 and published online on the Legislation New Zealand website: · Medicines (Restriction on Prescribing Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone Analogues) Amendment Regulations 2025   The regulations take effect from tomorrow, 19 December 2025 . After this date, new prescriptions for GnRH analogues for t

The brand of varenicline tab 0.5 mg and 1 mg starter pack and varenicline tab 1 mg continuation pack  is changing from Champix (supplied by Pfizer) to Pharmacor Varenicline.   Pharmacor Varenicline tab 0.5 mg x 11 and 1 mg x 42 starter pack and varenicline tab 1 mg x 56 continuation pack will be listed in the community and hospital schedules from 1 January 2026.   Pharmacor Varenicline will have Principal Supply Status from 1 June 2026 and Champix will be delisted.   What is

In this RCT, 382 children aged 5-15 years with asthma using budesonide 50 μg-formoterol 3 μg, two actuations as needed, equivalent to 1 puff Symbicort 100/6 or Vannair 100/6, were compared to salbutamol 100 ug as needed. 1 The primary outcome was asthma attacks as rate per participant per year. The annualised rate of asthma attacks was lower in the budesonide-formoterol group than in the salbutamol group, cluster-adjusted rates 0·23 versus 0·41 per participant per year (rela

Pharmac is calling for new funding applications for medicines for rare disorders ahead of our Rare Disorders Advisory Committee meeting. We know that people with rare disorders face challenges including access to suitable health care and accessing effective medicines. We are committed to a regular call for applications for medicines for rare disorders. We are asking for new applications from pharmaceutical suppliers so we can consider taking them to our next meeting on  Wedne

Following feedback, Pharmac has decided not to proceed with a proposal to decline some low-ranked applications on the Options for Investment (OFI) list. We heard from a wide range of people - clinicians, professional groups, patient advocates, individuals and pharmaceutical companies. People told us that while they understood our aim was to improve transparency, they did not want us to remove funding applications from the OFI. We’ve listened carefully and appreciate the time

Kia ora   We are writing to inform you of two new listings:   aripiprazole 300 mg and 400mg injection (Abilify Maintena)   Key Date: Both of these products will be listed (funded) from 1 January 2026   Key messages: Abilify Maintena can now be administered by intramuscular injection into either the gluteal or deltoid muscle. The previous listed (funded) products did not include the extra needle to use for deltoid  administration. The package with needle for deltoid administra

Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 12 December 2025. It includes information on:  New updates Resolved Supply Issues Pharmac funding both Estradot and Estradiol TDP Mylan brands of oestradiol patches From 1 December 2025, the funded brands of oestradiol patches will be Estradiol TDP Mylan and Estradot. Everyone who uses funded oestradiol patches will need to use either of these brand

Acetylcysteine (DBL Acetylcysteine) Inj 200 mg per ml, 10 ml ampoule  (Pharmacode 2260794) Pfizer's DBL Acetylcysteine will not be available from late December 2025 to March 2026. An alternative has been listed. Amoxicillin (Ibiamox) Inj 250 mg vial  (Pharmacode: 2272628) Douglas, the supplier, expects to go out of stock of the following product by mid-December because of higher-than-normal demand and shipping delays. Resupply is expected by the end of December. Emtricitabine

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 . Thank you for reading the Health Improvement and Innovation Diges

People in New Zealand aspire to have a health care system that delivers world-class cancer care; a system that provides timely access to high-quality services designed around their specific needs and those of their whānau. Te Aho o Te Kahu | Cancer Control Agency undertakes national initiatives to improve cancer outcomes for people in New Zealand and to assemble and disseminate cancer data and information to inform decision-making and service delivery.  As part of our ongoing

As we come to the end of 2025, we want to thank you for being part of an extraordinary year. Together with your peers, you contributed to 25,000 webinar registrations, 60,000 podcast downloads, and 12,000 eLearning starts. In 2026, we’re committed to bringing you even more premium content created to empower primary care professionals. And we’re starting as we mean to go on, with:  Adult ADHD: From diagnosis to long-term management WEBINAR 3 February, 7.30pm: Join Psychiatrist

Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 05 December 2025. It includes information on:  New updates Resolved Supply Issues Pharmac funding both Estradot and Estradiol TDP Mylan brands of oestradiol patches From 1 December 2025, the funded brands of oestradiol patches will be Estradiol TDP Mylan and Estradot. Everyone who uses funded oestradiol patches will need to use either of these brand

We are writing to remind you of the delist (no longer funded) date of the 10mg presentations of clomipramine (capsules and tablets). Key Points: •          The delist date from the Pharmaceutical Schedule is 1 April 2026 •          Clomipramine 25mg presentations will remain available and listed on the Pharmaceutical Schedule •           Please continue to consider alternative options for patients that require the lower 10mg dose   Please share this inf

New medicine supply notices Frumil (amiloride and furosemide): Discontinuation  (Pharmacode: 2125536) The supplier is discontinuing Frumil tablets. This is a global discontinuation. Supplies are likely to run out in February 2026. A flyer is available to support conversations with affected people. Mometasone furoate (Elocon) Oint 0.1% 50 g pack  (Pharmacode: 2395746) Because of recent unusually high sales, the supplier is out of stock of the Elocon ointment 50 g pack. All oth

From 19 December 2025, new prescriptions for GnRH analogues for the purpose of puberty suppression for children or adolescents with gender incongruence or gender dysphoria will no longer be permitted for patients who have not been prescribed a GnRH analogue previously.   This follows Government regulations introduced on 17 November 2025. The new regulations are published online here: Medicines (Restriction on Prescribing Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone Analogues) Amendment Reg

Kia ora   The December 2025 edition of Prescriber Update  is now available on the Medsafe website. Please can you share it with your networks.   Kind regards   Medsafe Pharmacovigilance Team

Pharmac is seeking feedback on a proposal to fund a new strength of thiamine hydrochloride injection: 50 mg per ml in a 2 ml ampoule. Pharmac currently funds two strengths of thiamine hydrochloride injection: 100 mg per ml (1 ml and 2 ml vials) 125 mg per ml (2 ml vial) These would continue to be funded alongside the proposed 50 mg per ml (2 ml ampoule). If approved, this new strength would be funded from 1 April 2026.  Proposal to fund a new strength of thiamine hydrochlorid

New listing: We are writing to inform you of a brand change for lanreotide inj 60 mg per 0.5 ml, 0.5 ml syringe (Mytolac). Due to a supply issue with the Mytolac brand we have an alternate brand funded and available.   Key messages: lanreotide inj 60 mg per 0.5 ml, 0.5 ml syringe ( Mytolac ) brand is in short supply due to manufacturing delays. Alternative   Mytolac Section 29 product was listed (funded) 1 July 2025. Mytolac S29 - The outer box is in English with Mytolac  as