Medicines and Therapies

Communication between people with epilepsy, their doctors and between agencies, around the potential risks of switching brands of anti-epileptic lamotrigine was examined at today’s epilepsy deaths inquest 

Shortages of OTC pharmacy products created by COVID-19 last year are not letting up but an importer of major brands is hopeful the situation will improve this year

The Medicines Classification Committee is forging ahead with its recommendation to reclassify pholcodine after considering objections, but says reclassification for paracetamol is not required

Pharmac needs to “try a hell of a lot harder” to engage with stakeholders, especially patients, on how it operates, John Baker says 

Last month’s reclassification of all codeine-containing medicines to prescription-only appears to have elicited grumbling and concern from patients around New Zealand

Testimony on day two of the chief coroner’s inquest into what role a Pharmac epilepsy drug brand switch played in the deaths of six people has revealed more confusion

The testimony of the father of a woman with epilepsy who died suddenly, and from her GP, revealed lack of knowledge about a Pharmac medicines switch

Last month’s reclassification of all codeine-containing medicines to prescription-only appears to have elicited grumbling and concern from patients around New Zealand

Cost has prevented 5 per cent of New Zealanders from picking up a prescription at least once in the past year, and that number is more than double for Māori, Pacific people and people with disabilities

American e-commerce giant Amazon launched a new online pharmacy across the United States on Tuesday, taking the competitive digital prescription service space up yet another notch