Pharmac

Prescription drugs as well as common over-the-counter products have been hit by COVID-related supply issues on the other side of the world, Jonathan Chilton-Towle reports

Pharmac’s drug buying approach disadvantages Māori, Pacific people, disabled people, those living with rare disorders and does little to reduce inequity. 

Pharmac says its brand switch for most people receiving Humira injections will save money and improve and simplify access to adalimumab 

Pharmac is making changes to the way its advisory committees work to strengthen the input of consumer perspectives in its decisions

Pharmac has negotiated an agreement with supplier Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) to purchase the antiviral molnupiravir

Pharmac has today announced that Roche, the global pharmaceutical company which provides tocilizumab, will not provide New Zealand with product for the next three months, due to massive demand worldwide

There has been a high uptake by Māori and Pacific of new diabetes drugs under Pharmac’s first ethnicity-based funding criteria – a publicity campaign to encourage more uptake is to start soon 

Evidence given to the inquest into six sudden, unexpected deaths after a Pharmac anti-epilepsy drug funding switch doesn’t clearly link the two, the chief coroner has found

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 

Pharmac has funded a new brand of oestradiol patches in an attempt to ease the long-running shortage of the hormone replacement therapy product which is causing problems for pharmacies and their patients