Summary of PHARMAC decisions

EFFECTIVE 1 August 2021

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New listings

  • Insulin infusion set (steel cannula, straight insertion) (TruSteel) 6 mm steel cannula; straight insertion; 80 cm line x 10 with 10 needles and 8 mm steel cannula; straight insertion; 80 cm line x 10 with 10 needles, 1 OP – Special Authority – Retail pharmacy – maximum 3 sets per prescription; only on a prescription and maximum of 13 infusion sets will be funded per year
  • Indapamide (Mylan Indapamide) tab 2.5 mg – section 29 and wastage claimable
  • Cyproterone acetate (Rex) tab 50 mg – section 29 and wastage claimable
  • Ibuprofen (Brufen SR) tab long-acting 800 mg
  • Febuxostat (Febuxostat multichem) tab 80 mg and 120 mg – Special Authority – Retail pharmacy
  • Rasagiline (Azilect) tab 1 mg – stat dispensing, section 29 and wastage claimable
  • Paracetamol (Pacimol) tab 500 mg - blister pack, 1,000 pack – maximum of 300 tab per prescription; can be waived by endorsement, up to 30 tab available on a PSO
  • Mirtazapine (Noumed) tab 30 mg and 45 mg – section 29 and wastage claimable
  • Cyclophosphamide (Cyclonex) tab 50 mg – PCT – Retail pharmacy-Specialist
  • Pirfenidone (Esbriet) tab 267 mg – Retail pharmacy-Specialist – Special Authority, Pirfenidone is not subsidised in combination with subsidised nintedanib
  • Sodium hyaluronate [hyaluronic acid] (Hylo-Fresh) eye drops 1 mg per ml, 10 ml OP – Special Authority – Retail pharmacy (Pharmacode 2608162)
  • Enteral feed 2 kcal/ml (Ensure Two Cal HN RTH) liquid, 1,000 ml OP – Special Authority – Hospital pharmacy [HP3]

Changes to restrictions

  • Misoprostol (Cytotec) tab 200 mcg – removal of subsidy by endorsement
  • Prazosin (Apo-Prazosin) tab 1 mg, 2 mg and 5 mg – addition of subsidy by endorsement
  • Pindolol (Apo-Pindolol) tab 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg – addition of subsidy by endorsement
  • Nifedipine tab long-acting 20 mg (Mylan (12 hr release)) and tab long-acting 30 mg and 60 mg (Mylan (24 hr release)) – brand name change
  • Mifepristone (Mifegyne) tab 200 mg – removal of subsidy by endorsement
  • Selegiline hydrochloride (Apo-Selegiline S29) tab 5 mg – addition of subsidy by endorsement
  • Pregabalin (Pregabalin Pfizer) cap 25 mg – reinstate stat dispensing
  • Cyclophosphamide (Endoxan and Procytox) tab 50 mg – wastage claimable moved to section 29 brands onlynges to restrictions
  • Megestrol acetate (Apo-Megestrol) tab 160 mg – addition of subsidy by endorsement
  • Rituximab (Riximyo) inj 100 mg per 10 ml vial, 500 mg per 50 ml vial (Riximyo) and 1 mg for ECP (Baxter) – amended Special Authority criteria
  • Meningococcal B multicomponent vaccine (Bexsero) inj 175 mcg per 0.5 ml prefilled syringe – amended restriction criteria
  • Meningococcal (Groups A, C, Y and W-135) conjugate vaccine (Menactra) inj 4 mcg of each meningococcal polysaccharide conjugated to a total of approximately 48 mcg of diphtheria toxoid carrier per 0.5 ml vial – amended restriction criteria
  • Meningococcal C conjugate vaccine (Neisvac-C) inj 10 mcg in 0.5 ml syringe – amended restriction criteria

Increased subsidy

  • Glibenclamide (Daonil) tab 5 mg
  • Pioglitazone (Vexazone) tab 15 mg, 30 mg and 45 mg, 90 tab pack
  • Atropine sulphate (Martindale) inj 600 mcg per ml, 1 ml ampoule
  • Atenolol (Mylan Atenolol) tab 50 mg and 100 mg
  • Felodipine (Felo-5 ER) tab long-acting 5 mg
  • Clonidine tab 150 mcg (Catapres) and inj 150 mcg per ml, 1 ml ampoule (Medsurge)
  • Sildenafil (Vedafil) tab 25 mg, 50 mg and 100 mg
  • Tretinoin (ReTrieve) crm 0.5 mg per g, 50 g OP
  • Betamethasone valerate crm 0.1%, 50 g OP (Beta Cream), oint 0.1%, 50 g OP (Beta Ointment) and scalp app 0.1%, 100 ml OP (Beta Scalp)
  • Oxytocin with ergometrine maleate (Syntometrine) inj 5 iu with ergometrine maleate 500 mcg per ml, 1 ml
  • Dexamethasone (Dexmethsone) tab 0.5 mg and 4 mg
  • Cyproterone acetate (Siterone) tab 50 mg and 100 mg
  • Somatropin (Omnitrope) inj 5 mg and 15 mg cartridge
  • Flucloxacillin (AFT) grans for oral liq 25 mg per ml, 100 ml
  • Phenoxymethylpenicillin (Cilicaine VK) cap 250 mg and 500 mg
  • Tobramycin (Tobramycin Mylan) inj 40 mg per ml, 2 ml vial
  • Trimethoprim (TMP) tab 300 mg
  • Trimethoprim with sulphamethoxazole [co-trimoxazole] (Trisul) tab trimethoprim 80 mg with  sulphamethoxazole 400 mg
  • Isoniazid (PSM) tab 100 mg
  • Isoniazid with rifampicin (Rifinah) tab 100 mg with rifampicin 150 mg and tab 150 mg with rifampicin 300 mg
  • Valaciclovir (Vaclovir) tab 500 mg and 1,000 mg
  • Nevirapine (Nevirapine Alphapharm) tab 200 mg
  • Diclofenac sodium (Diclofenac Sandoz) tab EC 25 mg and 50 mg
  • Naproxen tab 500 mg (Noflam 500), tab long-acting 750 mg (Naprosyn SR750) and tab long-acting 1 g (Naprosyn SR 1000)
  • Pamidronate disodium (Pamisol) inj 9 mg per ml, 10 ml vial
  • Orphenadrine citrate (Norflex) tab 100 mg
  • Fentanyl (Fentanyl Sandoz) patch 12.5 mcg per hour, 25 mcg per hour, 50 mcg per hour, 75 mcg per hour and 100 mcg per hour
  • Methadone hydrochloride oral liq 2 mg per ml (Biodone), 5 mg per ml (Biodone Forte) and 10 mg per ml (Biodone Extra Forte)
  • Pethidine hydrochloride (PSM) tab 50 mg
  • Moclobemide (Aurorix) tab 150 mg (Pharmacode 2602385) and 300 mg
  • Midazolam (Midazolam-Baxter and Mylan Midazolam) inj 1 mg per ml, 5 ml ampoule
  • Dexamfetamine sulfate (PSM) tab 5 mg
  • Methotrexate (Trexate) tab 2.5 mg and 10 mg
  • Doxorubicin hydrochloride inj 2 mg per ml, 100 ml vial (Doxorubicin Ebewe) and inj 1 mg for ECP (Baxter)
  • Epirubicin hydrochloride inj 2 mg per ml, 100 ml vial (Epirubicin Ebewe) and inj 1 mg for ECP (Baxter)
  • Mitomycin C (Baxter) inj 1 mg for ECP
  • Letrozole (Letrole) tab 2.5 mg
  • Salbutamol (Asthalin) nebuliser soln, 1 mg per ml, 2.5 ml ampoule and 2 mg per ml, 2.5 ml ampoule
  • Salbutamol with ipratropium bromide (Duolin) nebuliser soln 2.5 mg with ipratropium bromide 0.5 mg per vial, 2.5 ml ampoule

Decreased subsidy

  • Varenicline tartrate (Varenicline Pfizer) tab 0.5 mg × 11 and 1 mg × 42, 53 OP and tab 1 mg
  • Cetirizine hydrochloride (Histaclear) oral liq 1 mg per ml, 200 ml
  • Brimonidine tartrate (Arrow-Brimonidine) eye drops 0.2%, 5 ml OP
  • Sodium hyaluronate [hyaluronic acid] (Hylo-Fresh) eye drops 1 mg per ml, 10 ml OP (Pharmacode 2396238)

Tender News

Sole Subsidised Supply (SSS) or Principal Supply Status (PSS) changes – effective 1 September 2021

Chemical Name Presentation; Pack size PSS/SSS PSS/SSS brand (and supplier)
Aciclovir Eye oint 3%; 4.5 g OP PSS ViruPOS (AFT)
Brinzolamide Eye drops 1%; 5 ml OP PSS Azopt (Novartis)
Glyceryl trinitrate Oint 0.2%; 30 g OP PSS Rectogesic (Healthcare Logistics)
Latanoprost with timolol Eye drops 0.005% with timolol 0.5%; 2.5 ml OP SSS Arrow-Lattim (Teva)
Lithium carbonate Tab long-acting 400 mg; 100 tab PSS Priadel (Clinect)
Loratadine Oral liq 1 mg per ml; 100 ml SSS Haylor syrup (Boucher & Muir)
Oxycodone hydrochloride Oral liq 5 mg per 5 ml; 250 ml PSS OxyNorm (Mundipharma)

Looking Forward

This section is designed to alert both pharmacists and prescribers to possible future changes to the Pharmaceutical Schedule. It may also assist pharmacists, distributors and wholesalers to manage stock levels.

Decisions for implementation 1 September 2021

  • Clarithromycin (Klacid) tab 250 mg and 500 mg – new listing
  • Clomipramine hydrochloride (Clomipramine Teva) tab 10 mg and 25 mg – new listing
  • Lopinavir with ritonavir (Mylan) tab 100 mg with ritonavir 25 mg and tab 200 mg with ritonavir 50 mg – new listing Octreotide long-acting (Octreotide Depot Teva) inj depot 10 mg, 20 mg and 30 mg prefilled syringe – chemical and presentation name change, new listing and amended restriction criteria
  • Rivastigmine (Rivastigmine Patch BMN 5 and Rivastigmine Patch BMN 10) patch 4.6 mg per 24 hour and 9.5 mg per 24 hour – new listing

Possible decisions for future implementation 1 September 2021

  • Dulaglutide (Trulicity) inj 1.5 mg per 0.5 ml prefilled pen – new listing with Special Authority added (pending Medsafe approval)
  • Propranolol (Propranolol Teva) tab 10 mg – new listing
  • Sumatriptan (Sumagran) tab 50 mg and 100 mg – new listing