Special Authority approval data for olaparib, rituximab

28 October 2020

Dear [name and contact details redacted]

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Thank you for your request dated 29 September 2020 under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) for information relating to Special Authority (SA) approval data for olaparib and rituximab for financial year 2019/20.  You asked for:

1. Olaparib
   1. Number of SA approvals, split by type (initial or renewal)
   2. Total number of individual patients with an approved SA
2. Rituximab (for the treatment of refractory systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE))
   1. Number of SA approvals, split by brand, split by type (initial or renewal)
   2. Total number of individual patients with an approved SA

Please find the requested data (and associated caveats) attached with this response in the provided template.

Special Authority data for olaparib and rituximab [XLSX, 150 KB]

Please note that PHARMAC approaches its assessment of requests for information under the OIA on the basis that, once released, the information becomes publicly available - in other words once we release the information to you it becomes available to any other party in that exact form (whether by you distributing it to others or by virtue of us receiving the same request from a different third party).

We have made some adjustments to the data attached where total applications is equal to or less than 10 (displayed as <10) as we consider this is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons (section 9(2)(a)).

As required under the OIA, we also considered whether, in the circumstances, the withholding of this information was outweighed by other considerations which render it desirable, in the public interest, to make this information available.  In this case we did not consider that the public interest outweighed the reasons for withholding the information.

Please note you have the right, by way of complaint under section 28(3) of the OIA to an Ombudsman, to seek an investigation and review of our decision.

We trust that this information answers your queries. We are making our information more freely available, so we will now publish selected OIA responses (excluding personal details) on our website.  Please get in touch with us if you have any questions about this.

Yours sincerely

Rachel Read
Manager, Policy and Government Services