Apotex medicines in New Zealand

Last Updated: 15 December 2021

Apotex has largely left the New Zealand market.

We have either found replacements for Apotex products or discontinued those medicines where we couldn't find a replacement. We are still working on replacements for a small number of products. That information will be updated on the relevant medicine notice.

About Apotex

Apotex makes generic medicines. There are other manufacturers that also make most of the generic medicines Apotex supplied. Pharmac has found suppliers for most of the affected medicines.

Pharmac makes these types of changes to medicines quite commonly. All changes will be communicated to your doctor and pharmacist. We’ll also have information for you on our website.

We know that changing your medicine can be disruptive. We’re working hard to keep this to a minimum. Thank you for your understanding.

What are the affected medicines

Chemical	Brand	Presentation	Pharmacode	Replacement
Azithromycin	Apo-Azithromycin	Tab 500 mg	2405318	Brand: Zithromax Supplier: Pfizer Listing: 1 July 2021 Read the decision
		Tab 250 mg	2405296	Discontinuation Read the medicine notice
Bromocriptine mesylate	Apo-Bromocriptine	Tab 2.5 mg	793086	Read the supply issue notice for bromocriptine
Ciclopirox olamine	Apo-Ciclopirox	Nail-soln 8%	2401797	Discontinuation
Clarithromycin	Apo-Clarithromycin	Tab 500 mg Tab 250 mg	2385511 2385503	Brand: Klacid Supplier: Mylan Listing: 1 September 2021 Read the supply issue medicine notice for clarithromycin
Clomipramine hydrochloride	Apo-Clomipramine	Tab 25 mg Tab 10 mg	2289830 2289822	Brand: Clomipramine Teva Supplier: Teva Listing: 1 September 2021 Read our decision
Escitalopram	Escitalopram-Apotex	Tab 10 mg Tab 20 mg	2522241 2522268	Brand: Ethics Supplier: Multichem Listing: 1 May 2021 Brand change notice
Deferiprone	Ferriprox	Oral liq 100 mg per 1 ml	2369524	Brand: Ferriprox Supplier: Chiesi
		Tab 500 mg	2369532	Brand: Ferriprox Supplier: Chiesi
Diclofenac sodium	Apo-Diclo SR	Tab long-acting 100 mg	2025760	Discontinuation
		Tab long-acting 75 mg	2025752	Brand: Voltaren SR Supplier: Novartis Listing: 1 September 2021 Read our decision
Diltiazem hydrochloride	Apo-Diltiazem CD	Cap long-acting 240 mg Cap long-acting 120 mg Cap long-acting 180 mg	2401827 2401800 2401819	Read our decision on the new brand of diltiazem
Doxazosin	Apo-Doxazosin	Tab 2 mg Tab 4 mg	2261502 2261510	Brand: Apo-Doxazosin Supplier: Clinect
Folic acid	Apo-Folic Acid	Tab 5 mg	304131	Brand: Folic Acid Mylan Supplier: Mylan Listing: 1 July 2021 Read the decision
		Tab 0.8 mg	2025736	Supplier: Multichem Listing: 1 November 2021 Pharmacode: 2610566(external link) Available: Mid-late November 2021 Note: Stat dispensing removed 1 September 2021
Furosemide [Frusemide]	Apo-Furosemide	Tab 40 mg	2565781	Brand: IPCA-Furosemide Supplier: Miro Listing: 1 October 2021 Read the decision
Gabapentin	Apo-Gabapentin	Cap 100 mg Cap 300 mg Cap 400 mg	2540754 2540762 2540770	Brand: Nupentin Listing: 1 September 2021 Read the decision
Megestrol acetate	Apo-Megestrol	Tab 160 mg	2261499	Access change and discontinuation
Metformin hydrochloride	Apotex	Tab immediate-release 500 mg Tab immediate-release 850 mg	2400995 2401002	Brand: Metformin Mylan Supplier: Mylan Listed: 1 October 2021 Read the decision
Metoprolol tartrate	Apo-Metoprolol	Tab 100 mg Tab 50 mg	2499754 2499746	Brand: IPCA-Metoprolol Supplier: Miro Listing: 1 October 2021 Read the decision
Mirtazapine	Apo-Mirtazapine	Tab 30 mg Tab 45 mg	2486164 2486172	Brand: Noumed Supplier: Noumed Pharmaceuticals Listing: 1 September 2021 Read our decision
Nadolol	Apo-Nadolol	Tab 40 mg Tab 80 mg	787493 787515	Brand: Nadolol BNM Supplier: Boucher & Muir Listing: 1 October 2021 (note supply not due until end October 2021) Read our decision
Oxybutynin	Apo-Oxybutynin	Oral liq 5 mg per 5 ml	340413	Discontinuation
		Tab 5 mg	2110431	Access Change
Perindopril	Apo-Perindopril	Tab 2 mg Tab 4 mg	2437147 2437155	Brand: Coversyl Listing: 1 February 2021 New brand confirmed 7 December 2021
Pindolol	Apo-Pindolol	Tab 10 mg Tab 15 mg Tab 5 mg	748358 748374 748366	Discontinuation
Prazosin	Apo-Prazosin	Tab 2 mg Tab 1 mg Tab 5 mg	2453398 2453371 2453401	Supply secured for 2022
Prednisone	Apo-Prednisone	Tab 20 mg Tab 1 mg Tab 5 mg Tab 2.5 mg	374466 665762 304328 695459	Brand: Apo-Prednisone Supplier: Clinect
Primidone	Apo-Primidone	Tab 250 mg	2049015	Brand: Apo-Primidone Supplier: Clinect Read the decision
Propranolol	Apo-Propranolol	Tab 10 mg	2525941	Brand: Propranolol Teva Supplier: Teva Listing: 1 October 2021 Read the decision Read the medicine notice
		Tab 40 mg	2525968	Brand: IPCA-Propranolol Supplier: Miro Listing: 1 October 2021 Read the decision
Pyridoxine hydrochloride	Apo-Pyridoxine	Tab 50 mg	304379	Supplier: Multichem Listing: 1 November 2021 Pharmacode: 2610582(external link) Available: Mid-late November 2021 Note: Stat dispensing removed 1 September 2021
Selegiline	Apo-Selegiline	Tab 5 mg	2374420	Discontinuation
Sumatriptan	Apo-Sumatriptan	Tab 100 mg Tab 50 mg	2519631 2519623	Brand: Sumagran Supplier: Mylan Listing: 1 September 2021 Read the decision
Timolol	Apo-Timol	Tab 10 mg	750727	Apo-Timol tab 10 mg is being discontinued. Read the discontinuation notice