Proposal to award sole supply of metoprolol succinate in the community and DHB hospitals

In summary, this proposal would result in:

• a change in pack size from 30 to 90 tablets per pack of metoprolol succinate; and
• a reduction in price across all four presentations of metoprolol succinate.

No recommendations have been made at this time with regard to awarding Sole Supply Status and Hospital Supply Status to any potential metoprolol tartrate bidder(s).

Feedback sought

PHARMAC welcomes feedback on this proposal. To provide feedback, please submit it in writing by Friday, 19 June 2015 to:

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.

Feedback we receive is subject to the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) and we will consider any request to have information withheld in accordance with our obligations under the OIA. Anyone providing feedback, whether on their own account or on behalf of an organisation, and whether in a personal or professional capacity, should be aware that the content of their feedback and their identity may need to be disclosed in response to an OIA request.

We are not able to treat any part of your feedback as confidential unless you specifically request that we do, and then only to the extent permissible under the OIA and other relevant laws and requirements. If you would like us to withhold any commercially sensitive, confidential proprietary, or personal information included in your submission, please clearly state this in your submission and identify the relevant sections of your submission that you would like it withheld.  PHARMAC will give due consideration to any such request 

Details of the proposal

AFT-Metoprolol (metoprolol succinate) long-acting tablets, 90 tablet packs, would be listed in Section B and Part II of Section H of the Pharmaceutical Schedule at the following price and subsidy from 1 February 2016:

AFT-Metoprolol brand of long-acting tablets, 90 tablet packs: 23.75 mg, 47.5 mg, 95 mg and 190 mg would be awarded:

• Sole Supply Status for metoprolol succinate from 1 July 2016 until 30 June 2018; and
• Hospital Supply Status for metoprolol succinate from 1 April 2016 until 30 June 2018, with a 1% DV limit.

The appearance of the tablets is the same as the currently subsidised metoprolol succinate tablets in the 30 tablet pack size and the packaging would remain as a blister pack.

The 30 tablet pack sizes of AFT-Metoprolol long-acting tablets would be:

• reference priced from 1 April 2016 and delisted from 1 July 2016 in Section B of the Pharmaceutical Schedule; and
• delisted from 1 April 2016 from Part II of Section H of the Pharmaceutical Schedule. 

Background

Metoprolol succinate is a selective beta-blocker (it acts via the beta-1 receptor) indicated for patients with hypertension, angina, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias (such as supraventricular tachycardia), myocardial infarction and a number of other minor indications.

In April 2015, PHARMAC invited tenders for the supply of metoprolol succinate and metoprolol tartrate to DHB hospitals and/or community pharmacies. The proposal to award tenders for Sole Supply Status and Hospital Supply Status for metoprolol succinate is a result of this process.

Approximately 280,000 patients receive prescriptions for metoprolol succinate each year. The proposal would not result in a brand change for these patients.

Should the proposal be approved, the pack size would change from 30 tablet pack to a 90 tablet pack. Advice we have received indicates that this would be clinically appropriate for this long-term treatment and our records indicate that over 70% of dispensings are for three-monthly lots (90 tablets).