Decision for the supply of perindopril tablets
Pharmac has made a decision around the supply of perindopril tablets.
Update
Perindopril 8 mg tablets are Medsafe approved and were listed from 1 October 2022.
What we’re doing
We’re pleased to announce that Pharmac has made a decision around the supply of perindopril tablets.
This decision means that:
- There will be no change for people currently on perindopril treatment.
- Coversyl will remain the funded brand of perindopril tablets.
- The price of perindopril 2mg and 4mg tablets will change from 1 January 2022.
- A higher strength 8mg tablet will be funded in the future, subject to Medsafe approval. [listed from 1 October 2022]
This proposal results from a competitive process to source an alternative long-term supply of perindopril tablets and follows Apotex New Zealand Limited’s (Apotex) decision to leave the New Zealand market and stop supplying Apo-Perindopril from early 2021.
Any changes to the original proposal?
No changes have been made to the original proposal outlined in the consultation.
We can confirm that price support will be provided to wholesalers during the transition.
Who we think will be most interested
- People with high blood pressure, heart failure and diabetic kidney disease and their family or whānau.
- People currently using the funded Coversyl brand of perindopril.
- Healthcare professionals who treat people with high blood pressure, heart failure and diabetic kidney disease.
- Hospital and community pharmacists, DHBs and wholesalers.
- Suppliers of pharmaceuticals to the New Zealand market.
Detail about this decision
The following changes will occur in Section B and Part II of Section H of the Pharmaceutical Schedule.
|
Chemical |
Presentation |
Brand |
Pack size |
Price & subsidy |
Date of change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Perindopril |
2 mg tablet |
Coversyl |
30 |
$1.58 |
1 January 2022 |
|
Perindopril |
4 mg tablet |
Coversyl |
30 |
$2.95 |
1 January 2022 |
|
Perindopril |
8 mg tablet |
Coversyl |
30 |
$5.02 |
To be confirmed (upon Medsafe registration) |
This means that:From 1 January 2022 to 30 June 2024, Coversyl will have Principal Supply Status (PSS). There will be an Alternative Brand Allowance (ABA) of 5%, which means that 5% of perindopril purchased in hospitals and the community could be a brand that is not Coversyl.
- There will be no change for people currently on perindopril.
- The funded brand of perindopril will remain as Coversyl
- The price of Coversyl will change from 1 January 2022
- The 8 mg tablet will be added to the schedule following any approval from Medsafe.
Our response to what you told us
We’re really grateful for the time people took to respond to this consultation. A summary of the main themes raised in feedback, our responses to the feedback received, and changes we have made after listening to you are as below:
|
Theme |
Pharmac Comment |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Impact of including the 8 mg tablets |
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|
The addition of the 8mg option would provide a similar opportunity for effective treatment with one tablet once a day as previously possible with cilazapril. Absence of this stronger strength tablet risks suboptimal treatment. |
The positive feedback supports the listing of the 8mg tablet presentation and is expected to make perindopril a more attractive option for clinicians transitioning patients from cilazapril. |
|
|
The addition of the 8mg tablet would be very useful as it is the target dose for heart failure patients and often need for hypertension renal kidney disease. |
The 8mg tablet will be listed on the schedule following any approval by Medsafe. |
|
|
Price support for wholesalers |
||
|
Price support for wholesalers is important for a price decrease. |
Pharmac has engaged with the supplier to ensure price support is managed over the transition period. |
|
|
Feedback on the brand |
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|
A respondent noted that they appreciated that there would not be a brand switch as patients have already had to change brands after Apotex withdrew from the market. |
Pharmac is pleased to be able to support the continued supply of perindopril with no change in treatment for current patients. |
|
|
Feedback on the packaging |
|
|
|
A respondent noted that the current packaging was not compliant with current regulations as the name of the chemical (perindopril) was not printed on the blister pack but only the brand name (Coversyl) |
The current product has provisional consent (section 23) from Medsafe. The product which will be available in 2022 is expected to gain full Medsafe approval and have fully compliant packaging. |
|
If you have any questions about this decision, you can email us at enquiry@pharmac.govt.nz; or call our toll free number (9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday) on 0800 66 00 50.