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Named Patient Pharmaceutical Assessment (NPPA)

Named Patient Pharmaceutical Assessment (NPPA) provides a mechanism for individual patients to apply for funding for medicines not listed in the Pharmaceutical Schedule (either at all or for their clinical circumstances). Click here to read the NPPA Policy, which includes the prerequisite requirements and criteria for funding.

There are three pathways to NPPA funding - Unusual Clinical Circumstances, Urgent Assessment and Hospital Pharmaceuticals in the Community - each with different prerequisite requirements. Applications that meet the relevant prerequisites as described in the NPPA Policy are considered against PHARMAC's decision criteria for funding.

"Questions and Answers" sheets for NPPA are available below:

• Questions and Answers for Clinicians
• Questions and Answers for Consumers
• Questions and Answers for Pharmacists

NPPA applications

If you are an authorised prescriber and would like to apply for funding for an otherwise unfunded treatment for your patient, click the appropriate application form below to download.

Note:
–	You will have to print this form out to send to us.
–	You cannot save the edited PDF.
–	Before filling in an application form please read: How to save and print the NPPA forms

From about the middle of 2012, applications for NPPA funding will be able to be completed and submitted online. The web address for this will be available closer to the time.

Other application forms

• Special Authority applications
• Prednisolone sodium phosphate oral liquid
• Propylthiouracil ( This pharmaceutical is now listed on the Pharmaceutical Schedule with a Special Authority SA1199 )
• Alpha tocopheryl acetate
• PCT Paediatric Oncology/Haematology Notification Form

Summary of NPPA Decisions

The below Summary of NPPA decisions provides basic information (pharmaceutical name, patient indication and funding decision) about most of our decisions on NPPA applications.

• Summary of NPPA Decisions: 1/3/2012-31/3/2012

The Summary is intended to assist authorised prescribers to determine whether they will make an application. However, we encourage authorised prescribers to submit applications rather than pre-determining that a treatment will not be funded, as individual patient circumstances may vary.

The Summary is not a complete record of all NPPA decisions. For example, to protect patient confidentiality we will not publish information about decisions where doing so could identify an individual patient (this could occur where there is only one person in New Zealand with a particular indication).

The Summary will first be provided in the form of a PDF document. As the number of decisions we make increases we will develop a searchable online database.

NPPA and Exceptional Circumstances

NPPA replaced PHARMAC's Exceptional Circumstances (EC) schemes from 1 March 2012. Patients receiving treatment under the previous EC schemes will continue to receive treatment after this date under their original EC approval conditions.

To apply for renewal of funding for an approval granted under EC, click the relevant application below:

• Community Exceptional Circumstances renewal form
• Cancer Exceptional Circumstances renewal form
• Hospital Exceptional Circumstances renewal form

Contact

For more information about NPPA, contact the Panel Coordinators at:

NPPA Panel Coordinators
PHARMAC
PO Box 10-254
Wellington

Email: nppa@pharmac.govt.nz
Phone: 0800 660 050
Fax: (09) 523 6870

Background on NPPA

The below downloads provide further information about NPPA and its development process:

• PHARMAC's Review of Exceptional Circumstances: Consultation on Proposed Changes
• The Summary of Submissions we received on the Consultation on Proposed Changes to the EC schemes
• PHARMAC's Responses to Submitters' Views on the Consultation on Proposed Changes
• PHARMAC’s Review of Exceptional Circumstances: Seeking Your Views discussion document
• The Summary of Submissions from stakeholders in response to Seeking Your Views.