News

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 about this...

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 29A does not...

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 TruSteel infusion...

Issue 343 - 28 May 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 open access, contact...

Evidence from randomised trials on optimal LDL cholesterol targets for secondary prevention in known atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is limited. In an open trial, 3048 patients with known CVD disease were randomised to an LDL target of below 1.4 mmol/L or below 1.8 mmol/L.1 The primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction or stroke, revascularisation, or hospitalisation for unstable angina over 3 years. The median achieved LDL levels were 1.4...

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 opportunity to...