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Simvastatin patient information

At the moment, you take Lipex tablets to help you lower your cholesterol. Lipex is the brand name and the medicine inside is called simvastatin.

The medicine simvastatin is also made by other pharmaceutical companies. Different companies use different brand names for simvastatin. PHARMAC is the government organisation that funds medicines for New Zealand, making them cheaper for you. PHARMAC will soon no longer be funding the Lipex brand of simvastatin and are going to fund a different brand called Arrow-Simva. The Arrow-Simva tablets will look a bit different from the Lipex tablets, but they will still have the same simvastatin medicine and will work just the same. It is important to keep taking Arrow-Simva in the same way that you have been taking Lipex. You shouldn’t notice any difference in how you feel after taking Arrow-Simva compared with Lipex. If you do notice any major changes or side effects, please talk with your doctor about it. Arrow-Simva will cost the same as Lipex costs you now. Important dates

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1 March 2009 onwards - Arrow-Simva will start being fully funded. Lipex will still be available at the same price as Arrow Simva. 1 May 2009 to 1 August 2009 – Lipex will still be available, but you may have to pay more for it. 1 August 2009 onwards - Lipex will no longer be funded. If you would like to continue using Lipex, you will have to pay the full price for it.

If you have any questions about this change and what it means for you, please talk to your doctor or pharmacist, or you can phone the PHARMAC helpline, 0800 66 00 50 (between 9am and 4pm weekdays).

He körero whakamärama mö Simvastatin

I tënei wä ka kaingia e koe te pire Lipex hei whakaheke i te hinu o roto i te toto. Ko Lipex te ingoa waitohu, heoi ko simvastatin te ingoa pütaiao.

Ka waihangaia te rongoā simvastatin e ētahi kamupene. Ka karangahia tēnei rongoā simvastatin ki ētahi atu ingoa waitohu. Ko PHARMAC te pakiri kāwanatanga e hoko nei i ngā rongoā mō Aotearoa, kia iti haere te utu rongoā. Ākuanei ka kati nei ā PHARMAC i te pūtea tāpiri mō Lipex, a ka whakawhiti atu i taua pūtea ki te rongoā Arrow-Simva. Ka paku rerekē te āhua o te pire Arrow-Simva, heoi he ōrite tonu te rongoā o roto. Me kai ōrite tonu koe i te Arrow-Simva pēnei tonu i te Lipex. Ko te tūmanako kāore koe e rongo ki tētahi paku rerekētanga o te kai Arrow-Simva ki te Lipex. Mehemea ka rerekē, me kōrero kōrua ko tō Rata. Ka rite tonu te utu mō te Arrow-Simva ki tō te Lipex. Ngä Rangi Whai Tikanga

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Mai i 1 Poutū-te rangi 2009 (01/03/09). Ka tīmata te pūtea tāpiri hei tautoko i te hoko Arrow-Simva. Ka pēra tonu te utu mō Lipex, orite ki te Arrow-Simva.. Mai i 1 Haratua 2009 (01/05/09) – 1 Hereturikōkā 2009 (01/08/09). Ka hokona tonutia te Lipex engari ka piki pea te utu. Mai i 1 Hereturikōkā 2009 (01/08/09). Ka ngaro te pūtea tāpiri mō Lipex. Mēnā ka pirangi tonu koe ki tera pire, ka utua katoatia e koe.

Mēnā, he pātai āu mō tēnei whakawhitihanga, kōrero tuatahi ki tō Rata, ki te Kaimatū rānei. Heoi, waea mai ki PHARMAC, he nama waea kore utu 0800 66 00 50 hei āwhina i a koe mai i te iwa karaka i te ata tae noa ki te whā karaka hei te ahiahi (9.00 am – 4.00 pm).