Over 6,000 people will benefit from Pharmac funding proposal if approved

10 July 2024

Media release Medicines

Pharmac – Te Pātaka Whaioranga plans to widen access to seven medicines benefitting over 6,000 people within the first 12 months of funding.

The proposal includes treatments for schizophrenia, low iron levels, constipation, and a type of psoriasis.

“If this proposal is approved, we’ll be able to make more medicines available for more people,” says Pharmac’s Senior Therapeutic Group Manager, Alexandra Compton.

“We’ve heard that people with schizophrenia who are at increased risk of adverse side effects with their current medicine, would benefit from the widened access to the aripiprazole long-acting injection.

“We know that these medicines would have a positive impact on peoples’ lives – and we’re looking for feedback on whether we have the proposed funding criteria right.”

The proposed medicines are:

aripiprazole depot (long-acting) injection for people with schizophrenia
ferric carboxymaltose for iron deficiency anaemia in people with chronic inflammatory disease
methylnaltrexone bromide for people with opioid induced constipation
funded biologic treatments (adalimumab, etanercept, secukinumab, and infliximab) for people with people with a type of severe psoriasis.

Consultation on Pharmac’s funding proposal for these medicines is now open and will close on Tuesday 30 July. After the consultation feedback has been considered, Pharmac will decide whether to approve these medicines. If approved, these medicines are expected to be available from Friday 1 November.

The Government provided additional funding to Pharmac in June 2024 to fund new medicines and to widen access to medicines that are already funded. The funding boost covers medicines for both cancer and non-cancer health conditions.

Proposal to widen access to aripiprazole long-acting injection, ferric carboxymaltose, methylnaltrexone bromide, adalimumab, etanercept, secukinumab and infliximab

Media resources

Audio file | Alexandra Compton talks about the consultation [MP3, 1 MB]

Video file | Alexandra Compton talks about the consultation(external link)

Pronunciation guide:

aripiprazole – ari-pip-ra-zole
ferric carboxymaltose – fer-ric car-boxy-mal-tose
methylnaltrexone bromide – methyl-nal-trex-one bro-mide
adalimumab – ad-a-lim-u-mab
etanercept – e-tan-er-cept
secukinumab – sec-u-kin-u-mab
infliximab – in-flix-i-mab

Questions and answers

What is Pharmac proposing?

Pharmac is proposing to widen access to seven medicines for the treatment of schizophrenia, low iron levels, constipation, and a type of psoriasis.

Consultation on Pharmac’s funding proposal for these medicines is now open and will close at 4pm on Tuesday 30 July. Feedback can be provided by emailing consult@pharmac.govt.nz.

Pharmac has sought advice and information from its specialist advisory committees to help develop the funding proposal. Feedback from the public consultation will help us identify any issues that need further consideration before we make a decision.

Who will benefit, and how?

Pharmac expects that over 6,000 people would benefit from these medicines in the first 12 months of funding. After 5 years we expect that this number will grow and over 8,200 people would benefit from these medicines.

Aripiprazole depot injection

Aripiprazole depot injection (also known as aripiprazole long-acting injection) is currently funded for a small group of people with schizophrenia. This includes people who are unable to access the olanzapine depot injection due to supply issues. We are proposing to widen access to people who are at high risk of metabolic syndrome – a group of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

The Mental Health Subcommittee of PTAC recommended that this application be funded with a medium priority.

Ferric carboxymaltose injection

Ferric carboxymaltose injection is currently funded for a small group of people with iron deficiency anaemia (low iron levels). We’re proposing to widen access to include iron deficiency anaemia in people with chronic inflammatory disease.

The Haematology Advisory Committee recommended that this application be funded with a high priority.

Methylnaltrexone bromide subcutaneous injection

Methylnaltrexone bromide subcutaneous injection is currently funded for people in palliative care who have opioid-induced constipation. We are proposing to widen access to people in hospital who have opioid-induced constipation.

The Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee (PTAC) recommended that this application be funded in hospital with a low priority.

Funded intravenous and subcutaneous biologics

Funded intravenous and subcutaneous biologics (adalimumab, etanercept, secukinumab, and infliximab) are currently funded for several conditions including severe chronic, whole body plaque psoriasis and psoriasis of the face, hand, or foot. We’re proposing to fund them for flexural psoriasis and genital psoriasis.

The Dermatology Advisory Committee recommended widening access to adalimumab with a high priority. They also told us we should consider widening access for all biologics funded for psoriasis.

What are the medicines?

About aripiprazole depot injection

Aripiprazole depot injection (also known as aripiprazole long-acting injection) is a medicine used to manage and treat schizophrenia. It is administered by a health care professional once a month. It helps to correct a chemical imbalance in the brain associated with schizophrenia. It can also be used to lessen the chance of schizophrenia symptoms coming back.

Aripiprazole depot injection has a relatively mild side effect profile compared to other funded atypical antipsychotic depot injections, particularly metabolic adverse side effects.

About ferric carboxymaltose injection

Ferric carboxymaltose is a medicine that provides people with iron. Up to 1,000 mg of iron is given as a single infusion over 15 minutes.

It can quickly reverse iron deficiency in people where oral iron preparations (or tablets) haven’t worked or cannot be used. It can be administered in a non-hospital setting.

About methylnaltrexone bromide subcutaneous injection

Methylnaltrexone bromide is a medicine that is used to treat constipation caused by opioids. It works by blocking the ability of opioids to cause constipation, without stopping their ability to treat pain.

About funded biologics

Biologics are the name for types of medicine created using biotechnology from yeast, plant, bacterial or animal cells. They are used to treat a range of conditions, including plaque psoriasis.

Read more about biological and biosimilar medicines

How will Pharmac fund this?

When will this medicine be available?

If the public consultation identifies issues that require further consideration, the team at Pharmac might need to seek further information and advice. Following that process, a funding proposal will be taken to Pharmac’s Board or a delegate for a decision. If approved, these medicines are expected to be available from Friday 1 November. We will advise if further work is required that changes this timeframe.