Calcium carbonate Tab eff 1.25 g (500 mg elemental): Supply issue resolved

Cacit brand effervescent tablets (pharmacode 2601036) and the 20 and 100 packs of Calcium-Sandoz Forte tablets (pharmacode 2617447/2631695) were delisted on 1 July 2022.

Update: 11 April 2022

A new brand of effervescent calcium tablets has been listed. Existing brands were delisted from 1 July 2022.

Schedule listing for calcium carbonate(external link)

Alternative product listed

Listed from 12 April 2022:

  • Chemical: Calcium carbonate
  • Presentation: Tab eff 1.25 g (500 mg elemental) 
  • Pharmacode: 2633817
  • Brand: Hexal
  • Pack size: 100
  • Subsidy and price (ex-man, ex-GST): $260.00

Note: This Pharmacode/pack size has section 29 and wastage applied to it.

A subsidy by endorsement applies – only when prescribed for paediatric patients (<5 years) where calcium carbonate oral liquid is considered unsuitable.

RxOne users: The new listings will be automatically updated by RxOne from the effective date.

TONIQ users: the new listings will automatically be updated in Toniq medicine databases from the effective date.

Note: Ministry of Health Sector Operations Group will be unable to process claims for February 2022 dispensing of the above listing. Pharmacies can either hold these claims until March 2022 OR reclaim them in March 2022 when they are rejected for payment in February 2022 claims.

Prescribing and supplying a medicine under section 29

This product is not Medsafe approved. Section 29 of the Medicines Act allows for medicines that are not Medsafe approved to be prescribed and supplied to people. The medicine must be prescribed by someone registered with the Medical Council of New Zealand – e.g., doctors. 

We know supplying a medicine under section 29 is not ideal. In this case, however, the alternative would be for patients to have no funded effervescent calcium tablets. 

We apologise for any inconvenience this causes. 

Prescriber and pharmacist requirements for section 29 medicines – Medsafe website(external link)

What patients need to know about section 29 medicines – Health Navigator website(external link)

Previous brands 

The previously listed brands are out of stock:

These were delisted from the Pharmaceutical Schedule from 1 July 2022. 

Why are we doing this?

Link Pharmaceuticals (the supplier) did not yet have a resupply date for Calcit brand so this will be delisted from the Pharmaceutical Schedule from 1 July 2022.

Who to contact

If you have questions about the supply of this product, contact Link Pharmaceuticals:

If you have a question about funding, email enquiry@pharmac.govt.nz