Summary of PHARMAC decisions

New listings 

• Mesalazine (Pentasa) modified release granules, 1 g, 100 OP
• Famotidine (Mylan) inj 10 mg per ml, 4 ml – only on a prescription, subsidy by endorsement, S29 and wastage claimable
• Hydroxocobalamin (Vita-B12) inj 1 mg per ml, 1 ml ampoule – up to 6 inj available on a PSO
• Multivitamins (Paediatric Seravit) powder, 200 g OP – Special Authority – Retail pharmacy
• Nifedipine tab long-acting 10 mg (Tensipine MR10), tab long-acting 30 mg and 60 mg (Mylan) – S29 and wastage claimable
• Desmopressin (Minirin Melt) wafer 120 mcg
• Midazolam (Midazolam-Baxter) inj 1 mg per ml, 5 ml ampoule – safety medicine; prescriber may determine dispensing frequency
• Mitomycin C (Omegapharm) inj 20 mg vial – PCT only – Specialist
• Imatinib mesilate (Imatinib-Rex) cap 100 mg
• Ketorolac trometamol (Acular) eye drops 0.5%, 5 ml OP – Special Authority – Retail pharmacy
• Nepafenac (Ilevro) eye drops 0.3%, 3 ml OP
• Cyclopentolate hydrochloride (Minims Cyclopentolate) eye drops 1%, single dose (preservative free), 20 dose

Changes to restrictions

• Perindopril (Apo-Perindopril) tab 2 mg and 4 mg – stat dispensing removed
• Desmopressin acetate (Minirin) tab 100 mcg, 200 mcg and inj 4 mcg per ml, 1 ml – Special Authority removed
• Lamotrigine (Lamictal) tab dispersible 5 mg – brand switch fee removed
• Infliximab inj 100 mg (Remicade) and inj 1 mg for ECP (Baxter) – amended Special Authority criteria
• Oral and enteral feeds – amended therapeutic group name
• Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine (Boostrix) inj 2 IU diphtheria toxoid with 20 IU tetanus toxoid, 8 mcg pertussis toxoid, 8 mcg pertussis filamentous haemagglutinin and 2.5 mcg pertactin in 0.5 ml syringe – amended restriction criteria

Increased subsidy

• Sodium phenylbutyrate (Pheburane) grans 483 mg per g, 174 g OP
• Thiamine hydrochloride (Max Health) tab 50 mg
• Cyproterone acetate with ethinyloestradiol (Ginet) tab 2 mg with ethinyloestradiol 35 mcg and 7 inert tabs
• Levothyroxine (Synthroid) tab 25 mcg, 50 mcg and 100 mcg
• Celecoxib (Celecoxib Pfizer) cap 100 mg and 200 mg
• Paracetamol with codeine (Paracetamol + Codeine (Relieve)) tab paracetamol 500 mg with codeine phosphate 8 mg
• Escitalopram (Escitalopram-Apotex) tab 10 mg and 20 mg
• Phenobarbitone sodium (Max Health) inj 200 mg per ml, 1 ml ampoule
• Disulfiram (Antabuse) tab 200 mg
• Bicalutamide (Binarex) tab 50 mg
• Ipratropium bromide (Univent) aqueous nasal spray, 0.03%, 15 ml OP
• Ciprofloxacin (Ciprofloxacin Teva) eye drops 0.3%, 5 ml OP
• Brimonidine tartrate (Arrow-Brimonidine) eye drops 0.2%, 5 ml OP

Decreased subsidy

• Capsaicin (Zostrix) crm 0.025%, 45 g OP
• Capsaicin (Zostrix HP) crm 0.075%, 45 g OP

Decreased subsidy but not price 

• Mebendazole (Vermox) oral liq 100 mg per 5 ml, 15 ml

New listings 

• Calcium carbonate (Calci-Tab 500) tab 1.25 g (500 mg elemental)
• Emicizumab (Hemlibra) inj 30 mg in 1 ml vial, 60 mg in 0.4 ml vial, 105 mg in 0.7 ml vial and 150 mg in 1 ml vial – Xpharm and Special Authority
• Potassium chloride (Juno) inj 75 mg per ml, 10 ml – S29 and wastage claimable
• Pimecrolimus (Elidel) crm 1%, 15 g OP – Special Authority – Retail pharmacy
• Pregnancy test – HCG urine (David One Step Cassette Pregnancy Test) cassette, 40 test OP – up to 200 test available on a PSO and only on a PSO
• Carbimazole (Neo-Mercazole S29) tab 5 mg – S29 and wastage claimable
• Goserelin (Teva) implant 3.6 mg, syringe and implant 10.8 mg, syringe
• Tobramycin (Tobramycin BNM) solution for inhalation 60 mg per ml, 5 ml – subsidy by endorsement and wastage claimable
• Neostigmine metilsulfate (Max Health) inj 2.5 mg per ml, 1 ml ampoule
• Cyclizine lactate (Hameln) inj 50 mg per ml, 1 ml
• Melphalan (Alkeran S29) inj 50 mg – PCT only – Specialist and S29
• Mitomycin C (Teva) inj 20 mg vial – PCT only – Specialist
• Imatinib mesilate (Imatinib-Rex) cap 400 mg
• Travoprost (Mylan) eye drops 0.004%, 5 ml OP – S29
• Pharmacy services (BSF Atomoxetine Generic Partners) brand switch fee – may only be claimed once per patient
• Aminoacid formula without phenylalanine (PKU Anamix Infant) infant formula, 400 g OP – Special Authority – Hospital pharmacy [HP3]

Changes to restrictions

• Hydroxocobalamin (Hydroxocobalamin Mercury Pharma) inj 1 mg per ml, 1 ml ampoule – S29 and wastage removed
• Pegylated interferon alfa-2a (Pegasys) inj 180 mcg prefilled syringe – amended Special Authority criteria
• Escitalopram (Escitalopram-Apotex) tab 10 mg and 20 mg – reinstate stat dispensing
• Moclobemide (Aurorix) tab 300 mg – remove stat dispensing
• Pregabalin (Lyrica) cap 150 mg – S29 and wastage removed
• Sumatriptan (Imigran) inj 12 mg per ml, 0.5 ml prefilled pen – brand switch fee removed
• Prochlorperazine (Nausafix) tab 5 mg – reinstate stat dispensing
• Atomoxetine (Generic Partners) cap 10 mg, 18 mg, 25 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg, 80 mg and 100 mg – addition of brand switch fee
• Pegaspargase (Oncastar LYO) inj 750 iu per ml, 5 ml vial – amended Special Authority criteria
• Etanercept (Enbrel) inj 25 mg, inj 50 mg autoinjector and prefilled syringe – amended Special Authority criteria
• Adalimumab inj 20 mg per 0.4 ml and 40 mg per 0.8 ml prefilled syringe (Humira) and inj 40 mg per 0.8 ml prefilled pen (HumiraPen) – amended Special Authority criteria
• Rituximab inj 100 mg per 10 ml and 500 mg per 50 ml vial (Mabthera) and inj 1 mg for ECP (Baxter (Mabthera)) – amended Special Authority criteria
• Tocilizumab inj 20 mg per ml, 4 ml, 10 ml and 20 ml vial (Actemra) and inj 1 mg for ECP (Baxter) – amended Special Authority criteria
• Dornase alfa (Pulmozyme) nebuliser soln, 2.5 mg per 2.5 ml ampoule – amended Special Authority criteria
• Extensively hydrolysed formula (Aptamil AllerPro SYNEO 1 and Aptamil AllerPro SYNEO 2) – amended brand name

Increased subsidy 

• Mitomycin C (Baxter) inj 1 mg for ECP

Increased price but not subsidy 

• Mupirocin (Bactroban) oint 2%, 15 g OP
• Clobetasone butyrate (Eumovate) crm 0.05%, 30 g OP