News

In a paper by Walsh et al, 1  there was concern expressed that excess body weight (EBW) contributes to many cancers in New Zealand, compounding health inequities with higher proportions of EBW-attributable cancers within Māori and Pacific populations. Pacific peoples had the highest population attributable fraction (PAF) (11.8%), and this was highest among Pacific females (16.1%). Māori also had a higher PAF (6.9%) than European/Other (4.5%). Early detection and prevention are important. The...

We want your feedback on a proposal to widen access to bortezomib for people with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM), a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Pharmac included bortezomib in the 2024/25 invitation to tender, and as a result of a price reduction, Pharmac is now proposing to widen access to bortezomib from 1 February 2026. If approved, this would allow people with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia to receive bortezomib as an initial treatment or following treatment with other funded...

Pharmac has amended the 2025/26 Invitation to Tender with the following updates: Added:  thiamine hydrochloride inj 100 mg per ml, 1 ml Amended:   bupivacaine hydrochloride with adrenaline inj 0.25% with 1:400,000 of adrenaline, 20 ml non-sterile pack  → bupivacaine hydrochloride with adrenaline inj 0.25% with 1:400,000 of adrenaline, 20 ml bupivacaine hydrochloride with adrenaline inj 0.5% with 1:200,000 of adrenaline, 20 ml non-sterile pack  → bupivacaine hydrochloride with adrenaline inj...

Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 28 November 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 brands. The following...

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. FlorX Full Spectrum CBD120 30 mL has been verified as meeting the minimum quality standard. More...

Discontinuation:   We are writing to inform you of a discontinuation: amiloride hydrochloride 5 mg with furosemide 40 mg (Frumil tabs)    Key messages: It is estimated that Frumil stock will run out by the end of February 2026 Please consider prescribing a funded, Medsafe registered, suitable alternative for affected patients. Amiloride 5mg tablets are not Medsafe approved and will need to be prescribed and dispensed in line with Section 29 of the Medicines Act.  Our webpage includes a...