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Issue 340 - 16 April 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,...

Pharmac and Health New Zealand are seeking feedback on a proposal to expand pharmacy services. This proposal would allow community pharmacies to provide a wider range of funded clinical services for common conditions that may have otherwise required a GP visit, including:  scabies treatment for children/families  oral rehydration treatment for children  headlice treatment for children/families   pain and fever management for children conjunctivitis treatment for children treatment for...

New brand: Nitrofurantoin tab 50mg Clinect brand Discontinuation: Nifuran tab 50mg and 100mg. We are writing to inform you of a brand change due to the discontinuation of Nifuran tab 50mg   Key messages: Nifuran 50mg and 100mg tablets have been discontinued and will be delisted (no longer funded) 1 November 2026. The remaining stock of Nifuran 50mg tablets will expire October 2026. Nifuran 100mg tablet stock was depleted early 2025.   New brand: Nitrofurantoin tab 50mg Clinect brand will be...

We are writing to update you on how Pharmac is working with the recent changes to the Medicines Act 1981 that have been made to support the management of medicine supply issues.   Key messages: Section 29  permits the sale or supply of an unapproved medicine to a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner or pharmacist prescriber for the treatment of a patient under their care. Section 29A  permits the sale or supply of an unapproved medicine that is funded by Pharmac as an alternative to an...

Prior studies have suggested aspirin lowers long-term cancer risk, especially colorectal cancer, but the ASPREE trial (Australia & US-based) in older adults found no reduction in cancer incidence and an unexpected rise in late-stage cancers and cancer mortality 1 . This study examined 10-year outcomes in more than 19,000 adults aged 70 and older from ASPREE and its observational extension.  Participants received either low-dose aspirin (100mg) or a placebo.  Over a median of 8.6 years,...