Decision to remove Special Authority renewal requirements on selected medicines and products
What we’re doing
Following our recent consultation on Pharmaceutical Schedule changes to support 12-month prescriptions, we received valuable feedback from people about removing Special Authority renewal requirements.
We did not originally propose removing Special Authority renewal requirements. However, you told us that doing so would remove unnecessary administration and could support the implementation of longer prescriptions.
As a direct result of this feedback, we are removing Special Authority renewal requirements on selected medicines and products from 1 December 2025.
Why we are doing this
The Government has decided to amend the Medicines Regulations 1984 to allow prescriptions to be written for any duration up to 12 months.
We have already decided to fund medicines and other products for up to 12 months on a single prescription.
Health professionals highlighted that unnecessary renewal requirements create barriers for people when accessing essential medicines. They urged Pharmac to reduce this administrative burden and ensure that any renewal requirements are supported by strong clinical rationale.
In response to this feedback, we have decided to remove Special Authority renewal requirements on selected medicines and products used for long-term conditions.
Who may be most interested
- People who are prescribed these medicines and products, their whānau, and caregivers
- Groups who support and advocate for people with long-term conditions
- Prescribers
- Pharmacists
- Health care professional representative groups
- Health New Zealand, including Sector Operations
- Health system prescribing and dispensing software providers
- Pharmaceutical suppliers
Why these products were selected
Easier access to medicines for long-term conditions
The Government’s decision to implement 12-month prescriptions aims to make it easier for people to access medicines for long-term conditions. We are removing the renewal requirements for medicines and other products used to manage ongoing health needs which may be more suitable for longer prescriptions.
All of these Special Authority renewal requirements are administrative only, with none having clinical renewal criteria.
Our decision to remove these Special Authority renewal requirements means that people will have uninterrupted funding to the following treatments to manage long-term conditions.
- Insulin pump consumables for type 1 diabetes
- Continuous glucose monitor (interoperable) for type 1 diabetes
- Continuous glucose monitor (standalone) for type 1 diabetes
- Long-acting Muscarinic Antagonists with Long-acting Beta-Adrenoceptor Agonists (LAMA/LABA) inhalers for respiratory conditions
- Epoetin alfa for chronic renal failure
- Budesonide capsules for Crohn’s disease and microscopic colitis
- Febuxostat for gout
Removing unnecessary administration
Removing renewal requirements for these high-volume Special Authorities would eliminate approximately 32,000 renewal applications per year, which is around 20% of all Special Authority renewals. This change would significantly reduce administrative workload and improve access to treatment.
Patients
Will benefit from fewer repeat appointments just to renew approvals, leading to more consistent access to their medicines.
Prescribers
Will no longer need to submit renewal applications for these medicines and products, allowing them to spend more time on direct patient care and clinical decision-making.
Pharmacists
Will spend less time managing delays caused by pending renewals or expired approvals.
We checked with some key stakeholders, and they agreed that removing the Special Authority renewal requirements on these medicines and products would have a beneficial effect without unintended consequences.
Detail about this decision
From 1 December 2025, the Special Authority renewal requirements will be removed from the following in Section B of the Pharmaceutical Schedule (additions in bold, deletions in strikethrough).
Only relevant parts of the Special Authority criteria are shown.
SA2380 Insulin pump consumables
Initial application — (type 1 diabetes) from any relevant practitioner. Approvals valid for 2 years without further renewal unless notified for applications meeting the following criteria:
Renewal — (type 1 diabetes) from any relevant practitioner. Approvals valid for 2 years where the patient is continuing to derive benefit according to the treatment plan agreed at induction.
SA2371 Continuous Glucose Monitor (interoperable)
Initial application — (type 1 diabetes) from any relevant practitioner. Approvals valid for 1 year without further renewal unless notified for applications meeting the following criteria:
Renewal — (type 1 diabetes) from any relevant practitioner. Approvals valid for 2 years where the patient is continuing to derive benefit according to the treatment plan agreed at induction.
SA2370 Continuous Glucose Monitor (standalone)
Initial application — (type 1 diabetes) from any relevant practitioner. Approvals valid for 1 year without further renewal unless notified for applications meeting the following criteria:
Renewal — (type 1 diabetes) from any relevant practitioner. Approvals valid for 2 years where the patient is continuing to derive benefit according to the treatment plan agreed at induction.
SA1584 Long-acting Muscarinic Antagonists with Long-Acting Beta-Adrenoceptor Agonists
Initial application from any relevant practitioner. Approvals valid for 2 years without further renewal unless notified for applications meeting the following criteria:
Renewal from any relevant practitioner. Approvals valid for 2 years for applications meeting the following criteria:
Both:
1 Patient is compliant with the medication; and
2 Patient has experienced improved COPD symptom control (prescriber determined).
SA2266 Hypoplastic and Haemolytic
Initial application — (chronic renal failure) from any relevant practitioner. Approvals valid for 2 years without further renewal unless notified for applications meeting the following criteria:
Renewal — (chronic renal failure) from any relevant practitioner. Approvals valid for 2 years where the treatment remains appropriate and the patient is benefiting from treatment.
SA1886 Budesonide Cap modified-release 3 mg
Initial application — (Crohn's disease) from any relevant practitioner. Approvals valid for 6 months without further renewal unless notified for applications meeting the following criteria:
Initial application — (collagenous and lymphocytic colitis (microscopic colitis)) from any relevant practitioner. Approvals valid for 6 months without further renewal unless notified where patient has a diagnosis of microscopic colitis (collagenous or lymphocytic colitis) by colonoscopy with biopsies.
Renewal — (gut Graft versus Host disease) from any relevant practitioner. Approvals valid for 6 months where the treatment remains appropriate and the patient is benefiting from treatment.
SA2054 Febuxostat
Initial application — (Gout) from any relevant practitioner. Approvals valid for 6 months without further renewal unless notified for applications meeting the following criteria:
Renewal — (Gout) from any relevant practitioner. Approvals valid for 2 years where the treatment remains appropriate and the patient is benefitting from treatment.
For people with an existing Special Authority approval for these products, we will work with Health New Zealand to extend the expiry dates.
From 1 December 2025, the continuation requirement for Long-acting Muscarinic Antagonists with Long-Acting Beta-Adrenoceptor Agonists will be removed from Part II of Section H of the Pharmaceutical Schedule as follows (deletions in strikethrough).
RS1518 Long-acting Muscarinic Antagonists with Long-Acting Beta-Adrenoceptor Agonists
Initiation - Re-assessment required after 2 years
Continuation - Re-assessment required after 2 years
Both:
1 Patient is compliant with the medication; and
2 Patient has experienced improved COPD symptom control (prescriber determined).
More information
If you have any questions about this decision, you can email us at enquiry@pharmac.govt.nz; or call our toll free number (9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday) on 0800 660 050.