Pharmac Update: Primary Care Prescribers | 06 March 2026
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 hour ago
Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 06 March 2026. It includes information on:
Changes to antiretroviral dispensing – effective 1 March 2026From 1 March 2026, all listed antiretroviral (Community Schedule) treatments changed to 90‑day dispensing and may be prescribed and dispensed accordingly where appropriate.
Supply issue: ticagrelor tab 90 mg (Sandoz)Due to shipping delays, Sandoz expects to run out of ticagrelor 90mg tab by mid-March 2026. An alternative brand Ticagrelor Mylan 90mg tab was listed from 1 March 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. We know supplying a medicine under section 29A is not ideal. In this case, however, this will allow patients to be able to access appropriate treatment.
Ticagrelor Mylan is from the Italian market. The box will be over labelled with English text, and the blister packs will have some Italian text. For more information and images please see – Ticagrelor on Pharmac website
Discontinuation reminder: clomipramine 10mg capsules
From 1 April 2026 clomipramine 10mg capsules will be delisted (no longer funded). Please continue to consider alternative options for patients that require the lower 10mg dose. Clomipramine 25mg tablets will remain available and funded on the Pharmaceutical Schedule.
Discontinuation reminder: 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 2026. Please arrange for your affected patients to transition to another NSAID or alternative treatment. For more information, please see Oruvail on Pharmac website
Proposal to fund letermovir to prevent serious infection
Pharmac is seeking feedback on a proposal to fund letermovir, a medicine that helps prevent serious viral infection in people with very weak immune systems.
Under this proposal, letermovir would be funded from 1 May 2026 for people who have had a stem cell transplant, as well as a small number of other people with severe immunosuppression who cannot use other funded antiviral medicines.
We have heard from clinicians involved in stem cell transplant care and from Pharmac’s clinical advisors that preventing cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection with letermovir could make a meaningful difference, particularly early in recovery after transplant. This proposal would support a small group of people each year who are at highest risk of serious infection.
We are now inviting feedback on this proposal: Proposal to fund letermovir for prevention of Cytomegalovirus infection
Consultation is open until 5pm, Thursday 19 March 2026. You can provide feedback by emailing consult@pharmac.govt.nz, or by using the online form linked in the consultation document.
Please feel free to share this consultation with others who may be interested.
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.
Amoxicillin with clavulanic acid (Synermox) Inj 1,000 mg with clavulanic acid 200 mg vial
Buprenorphine with naloxone (Buprenorphine Naloxone BNM) Tab sublingual 8 mg with naloxone 2 mg
Glucagon hydrochloride (Glucagen Hypokit) Inj 1 mg syringe kit (Novo Nordisk)
Hydrocortisone acetate (Colifoam) Rectal foam 10%, CFC-Free (14 applications)
Linezolid (Zyvox) Tab 600 mg
Liraglutide (Victoza) Inj 6 mg per ml, 3 ml prefilled pen
Nifedipine (Nyefax Retard) Tab long-acting 20 mg)
Pancreatic enzyme (Creon 25000) Cap pancreatin 300 mg
Sunscreens, proprietary (Marine Blue Lotion SPF 50+) Lotn
