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Media Releases
For more information on Media Releases contact our Communications Manager, 
Simon England, on 021 863 342.
Search for previous media releases
- Prescriptions for medicine keep rising but rate slowing (2 pages, 114 KB) 08 Dec 2009
- Promoting competition continuing to pay dividends (2 pages, 81 KB) 08 Dec 2009
- Newly-funded antidepressant to meet unmet need – PHARMAC (1 page, 67 KB) 12 Nov 2009
- PHARMAC pays tribute to health professionals’ role in brand changes (2 pages, 109 KB) 29 Oct 2009
- PHARMAC looking to improve consumer participation (2 pages, 73 KB) 13 Oct 2009
- New medicines, savings result from agreement (2 pages, 106 KB) 12 Oct 2009
- Heart drug deals to save $65 million (2 pages, 76 KB) 07 Sep 2009
- Disabling cardiovascular disease gets funded treatments (1 page, 64 KB) 11 Aug 2009
- New leukaemia treatment funded (1 page, 70 KB) 03 Aug 2009
- Adalimumab access widening (2 pages, 68 KB) 31 Jul 2009
- PHARMAC welcomes increase in pharmaceutical budget (2 pages, 68 KB) 30 Jul 2009
- New treatment to overcome drug resistant hepatitis B (1 page, 77 KB) 23 Jul 2009
- Savings decisions to free up $27 million (2 pages, 70 KB) 21 Jul 2009
- Azithromycin for CF (1 page, 75 KB) 10 Jul 2009
- Rituximab Access Widening (2 pages, 67 KB) 16 Jun 2009
- New funding for anti-smoking drug (1 page, 63 KB) 03 Jun 2009
- How should PHARMACs Consumer Advisory Committee ideally work (1 page, 71 KB) 08 May 2009
- Once a day, non-stimulant treatment for ADHD funded (1 page, 61 KB) 15 Apr 2009
- Space to Breathe/He Tapu Te Hā launch (2 pages, 117 KB) 15 Apr 2009
- Additional funded treatment for Hepatitis B (1 page, 20 KB) 31 Mar 2009
Page updated on 01 Feb 2010
Linked documents
Prescriptions for medicine keep rising but rate slowing (2 pages, 114 KB)
8 December 2009 Media release Prescriptions for medicine keep rising but rate slowing, says PHARMAC Prescriptions for government funded medicines increased by almost 4 percent last year to 36.3 million, but the rate of that growth is slowing, drug buying…
Promoting competition continuing to pay dividends (2 pages, 81 KB)
8 December 2009 Media release Promoting competition continuing to pay dividends, says PHARMAC Promoting competition through its purchasing strategies is continuing to provide long-term benefits, according to Government medicine funder PHARMAC. In its Annual Review, published today, PHARMAC Funding and…
Newly-funded antidepressant to meet unmet need – PHARMAC (1 page, 67 KB)
31 October 2009 Media release Newly-funded antidepressant to meet unmet need – PHARMAC An antidepressant that will be funded from 1 November will help meet an unmet need for people with severe depression, says PHARMAC’s medical director Dr Peter Moodie.…
PHARMAC pays tribute to health professionals’ role in brand changes (2 pages, 109 KB)
29 October 2009 Media release PHARMAC pays tribute to health professionals’ role in brand changes PHARMAC is acknowledging the role health professionals played in implementing medicine brand changes that affected a very large number of New Zealanders during 2008/09. Highlights…
PHARMAC looking to improve consumer participation (2 pages, 73 KB)
12 October 2009 Media release PHARMAC looking to improve consumer participation Government medicine funder PHARMAC is asking for feedback on options for improving its consumer participation. PHARMAC has issued a discussion document that puts forward seven options for improving consumer…
New medicines, savings result from agreement (2 pages, 106 KB)
1 October 2009 Media release New medicines, savings result from agreement New funded treatments for HIV/AIDS and nausea, and a strengthened osteoporosis treatment have emerged from an agreement between PHARMAC and pharmaceutical company Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD). The agreement…
Heart drug deals to save $65 million (2 pages, 76 KB)
7 September 2009 Media release Heart drug deals to save $65 million PHARMAC has completed agreements with two companies for the heart drug metoprolol that will realise $65 million of savings over the next five years. Metoprolol, a beta-blocker, is…
Disabling cardiovascular disease gets funded treatments (1 page, 64 KB)
19 June 2009 Media release Disabling cardiovascular disease gets funded treatments People with a rare but disabling cardiovascular condition will have easier and more consistent access to three funded medicines following a decision by PHARMAC. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is…
New leukaemia treatment funded (1 page, 70 KB)
Media release, 3 August 2009 New leukaemia treatment funded PHARMAC is funding a new medication for patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia, called dasatanib (Sprycel). Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is relatively rare with about 40 new cases diagnosed in New Zealand…
Adalimumab access widening (2 pages, 68 KB)
Media release Embargoed to 00:01 Saturday 1 August 2009 `Biologic’ drug funding takes treatment out of hospitals People with a number of painful and disabling inflammatory conditions will avoid hospital visits for treatment following a funding decision by PHARMAC. The…
PHARMAC welcomes increase in pharmaceutical budget (2 pages, 68 KB)
30 July 2009 Media release PHARMAC welcomes increase in pharmaceutical budget Government drug funder PHARMAC is welcoming the increase in the pharmaceutical budget, which it says will help ensure people continue to have improving access to medicines. Health Minister Tony…
New treatment to overcome drug resistant hepatitis B (1 page, 77 KB)
Media release, July 23 2009 New treatment to overcome drug resistant hepatitis B PHARMAC is investing in a new medication to help overcome drug resistance for people with hepatitis B. From August 1, entecavir (Baraclude) will be funded under Special…
Savings decisions to free up $27 million (2 pages, 70 KB)
21 July 2009 Media release Savings decisions to free up $27 million Savings on three pharmaceuticals achieved by PHARMAC will free up $27 million for spending on new medicines over the next three years. The savings decisions, which are for…
Azithromycin for CF (1 page, 75 KB)
30 June 2009 Media release Cystic fibrosis treatment funded to save patients and money – PHARMAC Funding azithromycin for cystic fibrosis is great news for patients and will save the health sector money, says Government drug-funder PHARMAC. Azithromycin, an antibiotic…
Rituximab Access Widening (2 pages, 67 KB)
16 June 2009 Media release Greater access to life-extending lymphoma drug Treatment for a form of cancer is about to take a forward step with the widening of funded access to the in-hospital drug rituximab (Mabthera). From 1 July rituximab…
New funding for anti-smoking drug (1 page, 63 KB)
31 May 2009 Media release New funding for anti-smoking drug PHARMAC is marking Smokefree Day by announcing funding for the smoking cessation drug bupropion (Zyban) from 1st July 2009. Funding bupropion will provide another subsidised option for people seeking to…
How should PHARMACs Consumer Advisory Committee ideally work (1 page, 71 KB)
3 May 2009 Media release How should PHARMAC’s Consumer Advisory Committee ideally work? PHARMAC wants to tap into the expertise of consumers and other groups as the first step in a review of its Consumer Advisory Committee. The consumer committee,…
Once a day, non-stimulant treatment for ADHD funded (1 page, 61 KB)
Media release 19 March 2009 Once a day, non-stimulant treatment for ADHD funded PHARMAC has approved funding for a new type of drug to treat behavioural problems in children. From 1 April 2009 atomoxetine (Strattera) will be funded for people…
Space to Breathe/He Tapu Te Hā launch (2 pages, 117 KB)
15 April 2009 (embargoed 1100) Media release Māori children more likely to be hospitalised, die from asthma A new programme that gets underway in Taranaki this week has a potentially deadly illness in its sights – childhood asthma. Asthma is…
Additional funded treatment for Hepatitis B (1 page, 20 KB)
Media release Hepatitis B treatment to take forward step Treatment of the potentially fatal liver disease hepatitis B is set to take a major forward step with an additional funded treatment available from 1 April 2009. Government drug funder PHARMAC…
