News

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. Aurora Sirius has been verified as meeting the minimum quality standard. Aurora Whisper has been...

In a cohort of over 521,000 adults treated for acute sinusitis, amoxicillin and amoxicillin‑clavulanate showed no meaningful difference in treatment failure1. Adverse events were uncommon overall, but amoxicillin‑clavulanate carried higher risks of secondary infections. Patients receiving amoxicillin‑clavulanate had higher rates of yeast infections (1.1% vs 0.8%; RR 1.40) and a double rate of C difficile infection (0.04% vs 0.02%; RR 2.14), representing small absolute but clinically relevant...

The Pharmac website is experiencing an intermittent issue with not displaying published pages, either on an index page (like medicine notices) or through site search. The pages are published. You can find them by clicking the links in this email or using an external search engine, such as google, to search the chemical name and “pharmac nz”. We are working to resolve this issue. Calcitriol (0.25 mcg and 0.5 mcg caps): Brand change A tender has been awarded to Devatis to supply calcitriol...

Dear Members Last week, Nursing Council Chair Sharon Brownie advised that Catherine Byrne has resigned as Chief Executive and Registrar of the Nursing Council after eight years in the role. Deputy Registrars Nick Davis and Clare Prendergast, and Education Manager Annette Huntington, have also resigned. These unexpected announcements follow a significant increase in ministerial appointments to the Council, while the HPCA Amendment Bill has not yet been passed. While this level of...

We are writing to update you on two issues. Discontinuations Dexcom G6 Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) Supply Issue Dapsone tab 25mg 1.Discontinuation - Dexcom G6 Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) The supplier of the Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device has notified Pharmac that they will cease supplying it to New Zealand from 1 December 2026. While stock may remain available within the supply chain for a period after this date, Pharmac intends to delist (no longer fund)...

About Evolution Healthcare Evolution Healthcare is a leading provider of innovative, high-quality private healthcare across New Zealand. With a team of over 1,700 and growing, our group operates five hospitals alongside a range of specialist health and wellbeing services. When you join Evolution Healthcare, you’ll be supported to succeed in a safe, friendly, inclusive, and values-driven environment. We invest in our people, facilities, and technologies to continuously improve care for the...