Pharmac Update: Primary Care Prescribers | 22 May 2026
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 22 May 2026. It includes information on:
Supply Disruption - Ezetimibe with Simvastatin 10/80 mg (Zimybe)
Due to a delay at the manufacturing site, there is a supply issue affecting ezetimibe with simvastatin 10/80 mg combination tablet (Zimybe).
From 1 June 2026 Pharmac is funding an alternative product ezetimibe with simvastatin 10/80 mg (Vytorin). This product is not Medsafe approved and should be prescribed and supplied in line with Section 29A of the Medicines Act.
Further information, including resupply timeframes of the Medsafe approved product, will be added to the Medicine Supply Notice webpage as it becomes available Ezetimibe with simvastatin (Zimybe) 10/80 mg: Supply issue.
Tender Brand Change for Paracetamol Oral Liquid 120 mg per 5 ml – Effective 1 June 2026
From 1 June 2026, Pharmac will list (fund) Noumed Paracetamol Oral Suspension 120 mg per 5 ml. This formulation is sugar free, colourless, and strawberry‑vanilla flavoured, consistent with the current Ethics brand. The pack size is a 200 ml bottle and when prescribed and dispensed in volume of 200 ml, this will include a 10 ml oral syringe to support safe and accurate dosing.
The current Multichem Ethics brand will continue to be funded until 1 November 2026.
Memo from Health New Zealand: co-prescription of amoxicillin + clavulanic acid po 625mg with amoxicillin po 500mg, both three times daily (adults)
Please find attached a memo outlining the rationale and clinical use of the above combination in adult patients. This has been developed by the Health NZ Antimicrobial Stewardship Working Group in partnership with the Te Whata Kura Development Team.
Notification: Extended Pharmacy ServicesHealth New Zealand and Pharmac have made the decision to extend pharmacy services.This decision means community pharmacies will be able 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 uncomplicated urinary tract infection
access to emergency contraception.
Changes will be made to the Pharmaceutical Schedule from 2 June 2026 to support this, allowing Direct Provision of funded medicines by Pharmacists in accordance with their pharmacy agreement.
From 2 June 2026 Health New Zealand will fund consultations provided by community pharmacies for eligible people.
Health New Zealand will continue to work with pharmacists to implement resources to support this proposal.
Proposal for new supply agreements for funded vaccines in the National Immunisation Schedule and widened access to influenza vaccine
Pharmac is seeking feedback on a proposal to change brands of meningococcal ACWY, pneumococcal, and influenza vaccines – and widen access to the flu vaccine for all children from 6 months up to 5 years (6-59 months inclusive).
We are also proposing to widen access to a vaccine to help prevent people who have already had a serious pneumococcal infection from getting it again.
In August 2025, we released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the supply of funded vaccines, excluding the COVID-19 vaccine. This RFP is used to help us secure ongoing supply of funded vaccines. In total the proposal would result in funding 17 vaccines and 1 test used for diagnosis and we would now like to consult on the proposed changes.We welcome your feedback. Consultation is now open until 5 pm, Friday 19 June 2026. More information about the proposal, including brand change details and how you can provide feedback, can be found on our website:
After considering feedback and whether any changes need to be made to the proposal, we will make a decision. If approved, these changes would happen from 1 July 2027 for Meningococcal and Pneumococcal vaccines and 1 April 2027 for influenza vaccines.
We will keep Pharmac’s website updated as the proposal progresses, but if you have any queries in the meantime, you are welcome to contact us at vaccines@pharmac.govt.nz
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.
Diazoxide (e5 Pharma Proglycem) Oral liq 50 mg per ml
Methylphenidate hydrochloride (Ritalin) Tab immediate-release 10 mg
Mometasone furoate (Elocon) Crm 0.1% & Oint 0.1%
Olopatadine (Teva) Eye drops 0.1%
Rifabutin (Mycobutin) Cap 150 mg
