Products where no tender is to be awarded for the supply of metoprolol tartrate

PHARMAC has resolved not to award tenders for Sole Subsidised Supply Status or Hospital Supply Status for the following products:

Chemical Name Line Item
Metoprolol tartrate 200 mg (long-acting) tablet
Metoprolol tartrate 1 mg per ml, 5 ml injection

This decision follows a Request for Tender (RFT) for the supply of metoprolol succinate and metoprolol tartrate to DHB hospitals and/or community pharmacies, issued on 20 April 2015.

In summary, the effect of the decision is that:

  • Novartis’ Slow-Lopresor brand of long-acting tablet 200 mg will remain fully subsidised and listed without restriction in Section B of the Pharmaceutical Schedule and in Part II of Section H (the Hospital Medicines List, or HML) of the Pharmaceutical Schedule.
  • Novartis’ Lopresor brand of injection 1 mg per ml, 5 ml vial will remain fully subsidised and listed without restriction in Section B of the Pharmaceutical Schedule and in Part II of Section H (the HML) of the Pharmaceutical Schedule

There will be no changes to the current arrangements for metoprolol tartrate as a result of this decision.

For the avoidance of doubt, no decisions have been made with regard to any bids received via the RFT for metoprolol tartrate tablets 50 mg or 100 mg.

More information

If you have any questions about this decision, you can email us at enquiry@pharmac.govt.nz.