Fexofenadine (Telfast) 60 mg: Funding issue

Telfast not currently funded

We have been alerted to a change for the partially funded 60 mg fexofenadine tablets, branded as Telfast. The new product is now in pharmacies. This change means the specific product being dispensed is not listed in the Schedule so pharmacies cannot claim for it.

Unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding with the supplier about whether the change needed to be notified to Pharmac.

The previous Telfast was Pharmacode 949841, the new Pharmacode is 2701405.

The new Telfast has been reviewed by and registered with Medsafe.

Funded again from 1 November 2025

As soon as we were alerted to the issue, we initiated the process to list the new Pharmacode. We aim to have Telfast 60 mg tablets partially funded again as part of the 1 November Schedule update. The subsidy will remain the same.

What does this mean?

For any pharmacy dispensing the new Telfast, they will need to either charge the full price or the person will need a new prescription for a funded product. 

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused. We have sought to put this right as soon as we learned of the problem. Unfortunately, we cannot list products on the Schedule outside of the regular monthly cycle.

Who to contact

If you have questions about this issue, email enquiry@pharmac.govt.nz

Please include as much information as you can about the product (presentation, brand, pharmacode) and who your wholesaler is.

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