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Pharmac Update: Primary Care Prescribers | 06 February 2026



Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 06 February 2026. It includes information on: 



12-month prescriptions – Pharmac’s key messages for prescribersFrom 1 February 2026, medicines and other products are funded for up to 12 months on a single prescription. Details of all Schedule changes are included in our decision notification, linked here: Decision on changes to support increased prescription lengths. Special Authority Expiry Dates


  • Prescribers should ensure for any medicines with Special Authority requirements, that the Special Authority approval is valid for the entire length of the prescription, particularly for prescriptions longer than three months.

  • Special Authority renewals can be applied for up to six months before the expiry date.

  • If the first dispensing is made before a Special Authority expires, up to three months’ worth of dispensings will be funded (even if repeats are collected after the expiry date). For any further supply beyond that, a new Special Authority is required.


ADHD prescribing changes – from 1 February 2026


From 1 February 2026, rules for prescribing ADHD stimulant medicines have changed to allow a wider range of health professionals to start people on these medicines.


For more information, please visit the Pharmac website: ADHD prescribing changes – from 1 February 2026.


Supply Issue: Iloprost (Vebulis) 10mcg/mL, 2 mL nebuliser solution 


There is a supply issue affecting Iloprost (Vebulis) 10 mcg/mL, 2 mL nebuliser solution. The supplier is out of stock. Resupply of the registered product is expected from the first week of March.


Devatis is supplying Turkish‑packaged iloprost as a temporary alternative, this will be supplied under Section 29/29A of the Medicines Act 1981, and will be listed in the Pharmaceutical Schedule 09/02/2026. The medicine is identical in formulation and strength to the registered New Zealand‑supplied Vebulis product and is compatible with the nebulisers patients already use for the registered product. The outer carton will be over‑labelled in English. The individual nebules will have some Turkish text.


More information about this supply issue can be found at the following link - Iloprost (Vebulis) nebulisers: Supply issue


Discontinuation: ketoprofen (Oruvail) SR Capsules 200mg


Sanofi is discontinuing supply of ketoprofen (Oruvail) SR Capsules 200mg. The estimated date for depletion of stock is 31 March 26. Please arrange for your affected patients to transition to another NSAID or alternative treatment. For more information, please see Oruvail on Pharmac website: Ketoprofen (Oruvail) SR capsules: Discontinuation.


Discontinuation: amiloride hydrochloride 5 mg with furosemide 40 mg (Frumil tabs) 


Sanofi the supplier is discontinuing Frumil tablets. This is a global discontinuation, due to low usage. Please consider prescribing a funded, Medsafe approved, suitable alternative for affected patients. It is estimated Frumil tabs stock will be depleted by 28 February 2026


Discontinuation: Humalog, Humulin NPH, Humulin 30/70, Humulin R 10 ml insulin vials


The supplier Eli Lilly is discontinuing 4 insulins in the 10ml vial presentation. Please begin transitioning your patients to suitable alternatives.


The 3ml penfill presentations remain available.

Insulin Type

Brand

Presentation

Date Supplier stops selling

Insulin lispro 

Humalog

Inj 100 u per ml, 10 ml vial

End June 2026

Insulin isophane

Humulin NPH

 Inj human 100 u per ml, 10 ml vial

End June 2026

Insulin isophane with insulin neutral 

Humulin 30/70

Inj human with neutral insulin 100 u per ml, 10 ml vial

End June 2026

Insulin neutral 

Humulin R

 Inj human 100 u per ml, 10 ml vial

End March 2026

There is information regarding use of insulin and changes in the supply of various insulins: New Zealand Society for the Study of Diabetes - Noticeboard.


Supply issue: Duolin Nebuliser soln, salbutamol 2.5 mg with ipratropium bromide 0.5 mg per vial, 2.5 ml ampoule


Duolin nebules are in short supply. Rex the supplier has sourced an alternative product, listed from 1 February 2026.This is not a Medsafe approved product and will need to be prescribed and dispensed in line with Section 29A of the Medicines Act, (therefore not available on PSO.) 


  • This medicine is labelled albuterol sulfate instead of salbutamol sulphate. Albuterol is the USA official generic name for salbutamol.

  • Note - albuterol sulfate 3mg (equivalent to albuterol base 2.5mg) is equivalent to salbutamol 2.5mg

  • The alternative product is Albuterol 3 mg with ipratropium bromide 0.5 mg/ 3ml vial, brand name Cipla S29.

  • The supplier has over-labelled the carton, and inner foil pack to replace the word albuterol with salbutamol, however the individual vials will still be labelled albuterol.


A webpage with a downloadable patient leaflet is available to help reassure patients about this brand change Duolin nebules on Pharmac website: Salbutamol with ipratropium (Duolin) nebuliser: Supply issue.


Supply Issue: Nifedipine 20 mg long-acting tablets (Nyefax Retard)


There is a supply issue affecting nifedipine 20 mg long-acting tablets (Nyefax Retard).


Valni Retard nifedipine 20 mg long-acting tablets will be funded from 1 February 2026. This brand is not Medsafe approved and will need to be prescribed and dispensed in line with section 29A of the Medicines Act. The 30 mg and 60 mg presentations are not affected by this supply issue. The 10 mg has been discontinued and ran out in December 2025.

Resolved Supply Issues:


Supply issues are marked as resolved when stock arrives in the country and is released to wholesalers. After this, it can take another 1-2 weeks for pharmacies to receive stock, depending on where they are located around New Zealand.


  • Colloidal bismuth subcitrate (Gastrodenol) Tab 120 mg

  • Diazoxide (Progtlicem) Cap 25 mg

  • Mesalazine (Asacol) Tab 400 mg

  • Methylnaltrexone bromide (Relistor) Inj 12 mg per 0.6 ml vial

  • Mexiletine hydrochloride Cap 150 mg

  • Paracetamol (Pamol) Oral liq 250 mg per 5 ml

  • Procarbazine hydrochloride (Natulan) Cap 50

  • Tetracycline Tab 250 mg (Link)


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