Proposal to make it easier to access Mirena and Jaydess IUDs (contraceptives)
What we’re proposing
We are seeking feedback on a proposal to increase the ways that some contraceptives can be accessed. We are proposing to make levonorgestrel intra-uterine devices (IUDs), Mirena and Jaydess available in clinics, so they can be placed at appointments without the need for people to first collect Mirena and Jaydess from their pharmacies.
From 1 July 2025 Mirena and Jaydess would be funded on a Practitioners Supply Order (PSO) to enable this change. This would mean that prescribers could have these products stocked in the clinic, making them readily available for procedures.
We anticipate that this proposal would improve access to Mirena and Jaydess for over 21,000 people in the first year.
We are also proposing to increase the number of Jadelle implants which can be ordered on a PSO. Jadelle is a levonorgestrel long-acting reversible contraceptive that is placed under the skin. This would mean prescribers could have more of these products stocked in clinic.
The Government provided additional funding to Pharmac in June 2024 to fund new medicines and widen access to medicines that are already funded. The funding boost covers medicines for both cancer and non-cancer health conditions. This proposal is one of many that we’re working on to put our budget increase into action.
Questions and answers on Pharmac's budget increase
Consultation closes at 4pm, Friday 25 April 2024.
You can send feedback by:
What would the effect be?
For people accessing long-acting contraception
From 1 July 2025, people who receive a Mirena or Jaydess IUD (“hormonal IUD”) would no longer need to collect the IUD from their community pharmacy before their appointment. Their healthcare provider would be able to order the IUD ahead of the appointment and have it in the clinic, ready to be placed. We hope that this would make it easier for people who choose to use long-acting contraception to access it.
For health care professionals
From 1 July 2025, prescribers would be able to order Mirena and Jaydess IUDs on a Practitioners Supply Order (“PSO”). This means that the IUDs could be ordered and kept on hand, rather than individual prescriptions and dispensings being required for each person.
This would remove the need for the individual to pick up the IUD from a community pharmacy prior to the appointment. We know that currently this can make it harder for some people to access Mirena and Jaydess.
When pharmaceuticals are given to someone via a PSO, that dispensing is not included in the patient’s dispensing history at the pharmacy. This would mean that if this proposal was approved and someone received a Mirena or Jaydess via PSO, it would not be recorded in their dispensing history at their pharmacy.
We are also proposing to increase the number of Jadelle implants that can be ordered on a PSO. This would reduce some administration burden for clinics that do a large number of Jadelle placements as they would have less order forms to fill out.
Who we think will be interested
- People who may be using or considering using long-acting reversable contraceptives (LARCs), their families, whānau and caregivers.
- Organisations and healthcare professionals who provide sexual and reproductive health support and services.
- Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand
- Pharmacies
- Pharmaceutical suppliers and wholesalers
About PSO, Mirena, Jaydess, and Jadelle
The PSO list is a list of pharmaceuticals which can be ordered by any prescriber (within their scope of practice). The purpose of the PSO mechanism is to ensure that stock is available for all general practices for:
- emergency use,
- teaching and demonstration purposes,
- provision to certain patient groups where an individual prescription is not practical, or
- products that require specialist administration.
Pharmaceuticals like IUDs require specialist administration by a health care professional. The PSO mechanism allows prescribers to order the pharmaceutical in advance, so it’s on hand for use.
When pharmaceuticals are given to someone via a PSO, that dispensing is not included in the patient’s dispensing history at the pharmacy.
Practitioners Supply Order | Pharmac website
About Mirena and Jaydess
Mirena and Jaydess are both intra-uterine devices (IUDs) which have the active ingredient levonorgestrel. They are mostly used for contraception, however Mirena may also be used in other settings, for example for heavy menstrual bleeding and during menopause hormone treatment. IUDs are placed into the uterus by a trained health care professional.
We anticipate that this proposal would improve access to Mirena and Jaydess for over 21,000 people in the first year.
About Jadelle
Jadelle is an implant with the active ingredient levonorgestrel. It is placed below the skin in the upper arm by a trained healthcare professional and provides up to five years’ contraception.
Why we’re proposing this
Currently Mirena and Jaydess are only available on prescription, this means that people are often required to visit a community pharmacy to pick up the IUD and take it with them to their appointment to have it placed.
We have heard from healthcare professionals that this can make it harder for some people to access Mirena and Jaydess. By making Mirena and Jaydess available on PSO, this would remove the need for individuals to pick up the IUD from the pharmacy, which could make them easier to access.
This change would mean that access to Mirena and Jaydess would be the same as other long-acting reversible contraceptives, for example, non-hormonal IUDs.
We know that some sexual health clinics have a large number of appointments for people receiving long-acting reversible contraception and the number of individual prescriptions can result in administrative burden. This is why we are also proposing to increase the number of Jadelle available on PSO, reducing the frequency of orders being made.
We know that there are other things that can make it hard for people to access Mirena or Jaydess, like having to pay a fee to have the device placed. Pharmac is responsible for the funding of pharmaceuticals and does not make decisions on things like the cost of medical appointments. However, we hope that this change would still positively contribute to improved access for people.
Details about our proposal
From 1 July 2025, the levonorgestrel IUDs Mirena and Jaydess would be available on Practitioners Supply Order (PSO), as well as prescription. The amount of Jadelle devices which could be ordered on PSO would also be increased.
The PSO amount indicates the maximum number of devices that can be ordered on one order form. Prescribers would not be required to order the full amount available on PSO for any order.
The following changes would occur in Section B of the Pharmaceutical Schedule, from 1 July 2025:
|
CHEMICAL AND PRESENTATION |
BRAND |
CURRENT PSO AMOUNT |
PROPOSED PSO AMOUNT |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Levonorgestrel – intra-uterine device 52 mg |
Mirena |
n/a |
Up to 25 devices |
|
Levonorgestrel – intra-uterine device 13.5 mg |
Jaydess |
n/a |
Up to 10 devices |
|
Levonorgestrel – subdermal implant (2 x 75 mg rods) |
Jadelle |
Up to 3 implants |
Up to 20 implants |
To provide feedback
Send us an email: Consult@Pharmac.govt.nz or complete our online form by 4pm, Friday 25 April 2025.
All feedback received before the closing date will be considered by Pharmac’s Board (or its delegate) prior to making a decision on this proposal.
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