June 2026 Tender Notification

30 June 2026

Medicines Tender Closed

Correction to June 2026 Tender Notification

Correction to the new pack price of rosuvastatin tab 5 mg.
New pack price for the 5 mg tablets is $0.76 per bottle (not $0.98)

Corrections in bold and ~~strikethrough~~ below.

Correction to June 2026 Tender Notification [PDF 277 KB]

What we’re doing

Pharmac is announcing recent decisions from its Annual Invitation to Tender (ITT) process. This notification includes:

details about decisions made for medicines included in the 2025/26 ITT, following the consultations for medicines where Pharmac was considering a possible brand change; and
a summary of the feedback we received during the consultation.

You can see the full technical details of the tender decisions in the Tender Results section.

The table below provides a summary of the outcomes for the remaining unresolved medicines from the 2024/25 ITT that were included in the May 2025 and July 2025 brand change consultations.

Medicine	What medicine is used for	Outcome
Calcium gluconate inj 10%	Used to treat acute hypocalcaemia; hypocalcaemic tetany; hyperkalaemia with secondary cardiac toxicity; and hypermagnesaemia.	Still under consideration.
Iron (as Ferric carboxymaltose) inj 50 mg per ml, 10 ml vial	An iron infusion used to treat iron-deficiency or anaemia.	Still under consideration.
Ivermectin tab 3 mg	Used to treat certain types of parasite infections, and for scabies when other treatments have not worked well.	Still under consideration.
Nilotinib cap 150 mg	Used to treat newly diagnosed chronic phase Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukaemia, chronic or accelerated phase Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukaemia resistant or intolerant to previous therapy.	Still under consideration.
Nilotinib cap 200 mg		Still under consideration.
Raltegravir potassium tab 600 mg	Used for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in combination with other antiretroviral drugs.	Still under consideration.
Sunscreens, propriety SPF 50+ or greater	Used to help protect your skin from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet (UV) light when outdoors.	Still under consideration.
Water for injection purified for inj, 500 ml bag	Used to dissolve or dilute medicines which may then be injected. It can also be used for washing and cleaning purposes during minor surgical procedures, and to clean wounds.	Still under consideration.
Xylometazoline nasal spray 0.1%	Used to help nasal congestion.	Still under consideration.

Why we’re doing this

Pharmac’s annual tender process allows suppliers to bid to be the main supplier of off-patent medicines. This year’s tender is expected to free up between $30 million and $50 million, which will be reinvested into funding new treatments or making existing treatments available to even more people.

Pharmac consulted on potential brand changes for some medicines included in the 2024/25 ITT in May 2025 and July 2025, and for some medicines included in the 2025/26 ITT in April 2026. Feedback received during these consultations has helped shape our decisions.

How your feedback helped

The feedback received is considered as part of the decision-making process and has helped shape our implementation activities to support people through brand changes. We want to thank everyone who took the time to share their feedback. We heard from a range of people including healthcare professionals, advocacy groups and users of medicines. You provided feedback about:

packaging and labelling considerations
the resources and communications needed to support a brand change
the people who may need additional support when undergoing a brand change

Who may be most interested

People who use funded medicines
Healthcare professionals
Advocacy groups
Suppliers

If you have any questions about the decisions in this notification, 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.

Tender results –2025/26 Invitation to Tender

Pharmac has resolved to award or not award tenders for Principal Supply Status for some products included in the 2025/26 Invitation to Tender dated 3 November 2025.

Some of the Pharmaceuticals that will be delisted when the period of Principal Supply Status commences may be subject to existing listing contracts with Pharmac. Suppliers of Pharmaceuticals that are subject to such contracts should continue to supply their Pharmaceutical under those contracts. Pharmac will continue to subsidise those Pharmaceuticals accordingly until such time as those Pharmaceuticals are delisted.

Notification of Product Changes (NOPC) forms

Please note that for any changes (price change, pack size change, new listing etc) to be effective in the Pharmaceutical Schedule (including Section H), suppliers are required to submit a Notification of Product Changes (NOPC) form to Pharmac, the Pharmacy Guild and the NZULM by:

For new listings, by 4pm on the 12^th of July 2026 or the 5^th of the month prior to listing, whichever is earlier
For price changes, by 4pm on the 12^th of the month prior to the date of subsidy change

Pharmac cannot list a product (and Pharmacies cannot claim) without this information. More information about this process, and a copy of the NOPC form can be found on our website.

Process for notification of product changes

Suppliers are required to ensure that a Pharmacode has been obtained from the Pharmacy Guild of New Zealand(external link) (external link)and that a CTPP code has been obtained from the New Zealand Universal List of Medicines(external link). Pharmacodes and CTPP codes must be provided to Pharmac by the 5^th of the month prior to the date of listing, or 10 business days following the market notification date (whichever is earliest). Pharmac cannot list a product (and Pharmacies cannot claim) without the correct Pharmacode.

2025/26 Invitation to Tender – Principal Supply Status applies until 30 June 2029

Community Pharmaceutical tenders – Section B of the Pharmaceutical Schedule

1. Tenders awarded to currently listed pharmaceuticals where no other brand is listed (no brand change).

Chemical name	Presentation; Pack size and type	Current pack price	New pack price	Principal Supply brand (Supplier)	Date of subsidy change	Principal Supply date
Paraffin	White soft; 450 g pot	$4.74	$4.70	EVARA White Soft Paraffin (Evara)	1 September 2026	1 February 2027
Rosuvastatin¹	Tab 5 mg; 30 tablet bottle	$1.29	~~$0.98~~ $0.76	Rosuvastatin Viatris (Viatris)	1 October 2026	1 March 2027
Rosuvastatin¹	Tab 10 mg; 30 tablet bottle	$1.69	$0.98	Rosuvastatin Viatris (Viatris)	1 October 2026	1 March 2027
Rosuvastatin¹	Tab 20 mg; 30 tablet bottle	$2.71	$1.37	Rosuvastatin Viatris (Viatris)	1 October 2026	1 March 2027
Rosuvastatin¹	Tab 40 mg; 30 tablet bottle	$4.55	$2.24	Rosuvastatin Viatris (Viatris)	1 October 2026	1 March 2027
Thiotepa²	Inj 15 mg vial; 1 vial pack	$398.00	$278.60	Tepadina (Arrotex)	1 October 2026	1 March 2027
Thiotepa²	Inj 100 mg vial; 1 vial pack	$1,800.00	$1,260.00	Tepadina (Arrotex)	1 October 2026	1 March 2027
Ursodeoxycholic acid	Cap 250 mg; 100 capsule blister pack	$33.95	$33.45	Ursosan (Boucher)	1 September 2026	1 February 2027
¹Pharmac tendered rosuvastatin tablets for both current and widened access. Pharmac has made the decision to award the widened access tenders. This means that the Special Authority and Hospital Restrictions on rosuvastatin tab 5 mg, tab 10 mg, tab 20 mg and tab 40 mg will be removed from 1 October 2026. The pack size for rosuvastatin tab 5 mg, tab 10 mg, tab 20 mg and tab 40 mg will change from 30 tablets to 90 tablets from 1 August 2027. From 1 February 2027 until 1 August 2027, both a 30 tablet and 90 tablet bottle of the Rosuvastatin Viatris brand of rosuvastatin tablets will be listed on the Pharmaceutical Schedule, after which the 30 tablet bottle will be delisted. Full details of the decision to open list rosuvastatin. ²This product will be supplied at the Price from the 1st day of the month prior to the listing date, as per Schedule 4 clause 2.3(c)(ii) of the 2025/26 Invitation to Tender.

2. Tenders awarded to pharmaceuticals where at least one other brand is listed (the funded brand will change).

Chemical name	Presentation; Pack size and type	Current pack price	New pack price	Principal Supply brand (Supplier)	Date of subsidy change	Principal Supply date	Brand (Supplier) affected by delisting
Cyclopentolate hydrochloride¹	Eye drops 1%, single dose; 20 plastic ampoule pack	$68.52 (per 15 ml OP)*	$46.00	Minims (Bausch and Lomb)	1 October 2026	1 March 2027	Cyclogyl (Alcon)
Losartan potassium	Tab 12.5 mg; 90 tablet blister pack	$2.00 (per 84)	$1.80	Ipca-Losartan (Miro)	1 January 2027	1 June 2027	Losartan Actavis (Teva)
Losartan potassium	Tab 25 mg; 90 tablet blister pack	$2.29 (per 84)	$2.10	Ipca-Losartan (Miro)	1 January 2027	1 June 2027	Losartan Actavis (Teva)
Losartan potassium	Tab 50 mg; 90 tablet blister pack	$2.86 (per 84)	$2.60	Ipca-Losartan (Miro)	1 January 2027	1 June 2027	Losartan Actavis (Teva)
Losartan potassium	Tab 100 mg; 90 tablet blister pack	$4.57 (per 84)	$4.26	Ipca-Losartan (Miro)	1 January 2027	1 June 2027	Losartan Actavis (Teva)
Naltrexone hydrochloride	Tab 50 mg; 30 tablet blister pack	$83.33	$69.03	Naltrexone Lupin (Lupin)	1 November 2026	1 April 2027	Naltraccord (Teva)
Tropicamide¹	Eye drops 0.5%, single dose; 20 plastic ampoule pack	$33.89 (per 15 ml OP)*	$46.00	Minims (Bausch and Lomb)	1 October 2026	1 March 2027	Mydriacyl (Alcon)
Tropicamide¹	Eye drops 1%, single dose; 20 plastic ampoule pack	$54.71 (per 15 ml OP)*	$46.00	Minims (Bausch and Lomb)	1 October 2026	1 March 2027	Mydriacyl (Alcon)
¹Please note the funded brands of cyclopentolate hydrochloride and tropicamide eye drops are changing from a 15 ml dropper bottle to 20 single dose plastic ampoules. For the more details on the decision, please see below. *This price is listed from 1 July 2026

Hospital Pharmaceutical tenders – Section H of the Pharmaceutical Schedule.

3. Tenders awarded to currently listed pharmaceuticals where no other brand is listed (no brand change)

Chemical name	Presentation; Pack size and type	Current pack price	New pack price	Principal Supply brand (Supplier)	DV Limit	Date of subsidy change	Principal Supply date
Paraffin	White soft; 450 g pot	$4.74	$4.70	EVARA White Soft Paraffin (Evara)	5%	1 September 2026	1 February 2027
Rosuvastatin¹	Tab 5 mg; 30 tablet blister pack	$1.29	$0.76	Rosuvastatin Viatris (Viatris)	5%	1 October 2026	1 March 2027
Rosuvastatin¹	Tab 10 mg; 30 tablet blister pack	$1.69	$0.98	Rosuvastatin Viatris (Viatris)	5%	1 October 2026	1 March 2027
Rosuvastatin¹	Tab 20 mg; 30 tablet blister pack	$2.71	$1.37	Rosuvastatin Viatris (Viatris)	5%	1 October 2026	1 March 2027
Rosuvastatin¹	Tab 40 mg; 30 tablet blister pack	$4.55	$2.24	Rosuvastatin Viatris (Viatris)	5%	1 October 2026	1 March 2027
Thiotepa²	Inj 15 mg vial; 1 vial pack	$398.00	$278.60	Tepadina (Arrotex)	5%	1 October 2026	1 March 2027
Thiotepa²	Inj 100 mg vial; 1 vial pack	$1,800.00	$1,260.00	Tepadina (Arrotex)	5%	1 October 2026	1 March 2027
Ursodeoxycholic acid	Cap 250 mg; 100 capsule blister pack	$33.95	$33.45	Ursosan (Boucher)	5%	1 September 2026	1 February 2027
¹Pharmac tendered rosuvastatin tablets for both current and widened access. Pharmac has made the decision to award the widened access tenders. This means that the Special Authority and Hospital Restrictions on rosuvastatin tab 5 mg, tab 10 mg, tab 20 mg and tab 40 mg will be removed from 1 October 2026. The pack size for rosuvastatin tab 5 mg, tab 10 mg, tab 20 mg and tab 40 mg will change from 30 tablets to 90 tablets from 1 August 2027. From 1 February 2027 until 1 August 2027, both a 30 tablet and 90 tablet bottle of the Rosuvastatin Viatris brand of rosuvastatin tablets will be listed on the Pharmaceutical Schedule, after which the 30 tablet bottle will be delisted. Full details of the decision to open list rosuvastatin. ²This product will be supplied at the Price from the 1st day of the month prior to the listing date, as per Schedule 4 clause 2.3(c)(ii) of the 2025/26 Invitation to Tender.

4. Tenders awarded to pharmaceuticals where at least one other brand is listed (the funded brand will change).

Chemical name	Presentation; Pack size and type	Current pack price	New pack price	Principal Supply brand (Supplier)	Date of subsidy change	Principal Supply date	Brand (Supplier) affected by delisting
Cyclopentolate hydrochloride¹	Eye drops 1%, single dose; 20 plastic ampoule pack	$68.52 (per 15 ml OP)*	$46.00	Minims (Bausch and Lomb)	1 October 2026	1 March 2027	Cyclogyl (Alcon)
Granisetron	Inj 1 mg per ml, 3 ml ampoule; 1 glass ampoule pack	$1.20	$1.71	Granisetron-AFT (AFT)	1 August 2026	1 January 2027	Deva (Devatis)
Losartan potassium	Tab 12.5 mg; 90 tablet blister pack	$2.00 (per 84)	$1.80	Ipca-Losartan (Miro)	1 January 2027	1 June 2027	Losartan Actavis (Teva)
Losartan potassium	Tab 25 mg; 90 tablet blister pack	$2.29 (per 84)	$2.10	Ipca-Losartan (Miro)	1 January 2027	1 June 2027	Losartan Actavis (Teva)
Losartan potassium	Tab 50 mg; 90 tablet blister pack	$2.86 (per 84)	$2.60	Ipca-Losartan (Miro)	1 January 2027	1 June 2027	Losartan Actavis (Teva)
Losartan potassium	Tab 100 mg; 90 tablet blister pack	$4.57 (per 84)	$4.26	Ipca-Losartan (Miro)	1 January 2027	1 June 2027	Losartan Actavis (Teva)
Naltrexone hydrochloride	Tab 50 mg; 30 tablet blister pack	$83.33	$69.03	Naltrexone Lupin (Lupin)	1 November 2026	1 April 2027	Naltraccord (Teva)
Tropicamide¹	Eye drops 0.5%, single dose; 20 plastic ampoule pack	$33.89 (per 15 ml OP)*	$46.00	Minims (Bausch and Lomb)	1 October 2026	1 March 2027	Mydriacyl (Alcon)
Tropicamide¹	Eye drops 1%, single dose; 20 plastic ampoule pack	$54.71 (per 15 ml OP)*	$46.00	Minims (Bausch and Lomb)	1 October 2026	1 March 2027	Mydriacyl (Alcon)
¹Please note the funded brands of cyclopentolate hydrochloride and tropicamide eye drops are changing from a 15 ml dropper bottle to 20 single dose plastic ampoules. For the more details on the decision, please see below. *This will be the listed price from 1 July 2026.

Tender declines – Products where no tender is to be awarded for Principal Supply Status

Pharmac has resolved not to award tenders for Principal Supply Status for the following products listed in the 2025/26 Invitation to Tender, dated 3 November 2025.

Chemical Name	Line Item
Rosuvastatin (current access)	Tab 5 mg
Rosuvastatin (current access)	Tab 10 mg
Rosuvastatin (current access)	Tab 20 mg
Rosuvastatin (current access)	Tab 40 mg

Rosuvastatin

What’s changing?

We are pleased to announce our decision to remove the Special Authority and Hospital Restrictions on rosuvastatin tab 5 mg, tab 10 mg, tab 20 mg and tab 40 mg from 1 October 2026.

We are also announcing that the pack size for rosuvastatin tab 5 mg, tab 10 mg, tab 20 mg and tab 40 mg will change from 30 tablets to 90 tablets from 1 August 2027. From 1 February 2027 until 1 August 2027, both a 30 tablet and 90 tablet bottle of the Rosuvastatin Viatris brand of rosuvastatin tablets will be listed on the Pharmaceutical Schedule, after which the 30 tablet bottle will be delisted.

There are currently two funded brands of rosuvastatin, Rosuvastatin Viatris and Rosuvastatin – Sandoz and another alternative brand, Rosuvastatin Mylan, will also be listed on the Pharmaceutical Schedule from 1 July 2026 to support consistent supply for patients. On 1 March 2027, the Rosuvastatin - Sandoz and Rosuvastatin Mylan brands of rosuvastatin tablets will be delisted from Section B and Part II of Section H of the Pharmaceutical Schedule and the Rosuvastatin Viatris brand will be the main funded brand of rosuvastatin tablets.

From 1 March 2027 until 1 August 2027, both the 30 tablet bottle and 90 tablet bottle of the Rosuvastatin Viatris brand of rosuvastatin tablets will have Principal Supply Status. On 1 August 2027, the 30 tablet bottle of the Rosuvastatin Viatris brand of rosuvastatin tablets will be delisted from Section B and Part II of Section H of the Pharmaceutical Schedule. From 1 August 2027 until 30 June 2029, the 90 tablet bottle of the Rosuvastatin Viatris brand of rosuvastatin tablets will have Principal Supply Status. This means that Rosuvastatin Viatris will be the main funded brand of rosuvastatin tablets until 30 June 2029.

Full details of the decision to open list rosuvastatin

Cyclopentolate hydrochloride and Tropicamide

What’s changing?

This decision will result in a change from 15 ml dropper bottles to packs of 20 × 0.5 ml single dose plastic ampoules for cyclopentolate hydrochloride and tropicamide eye drops.

This brand change will also change the storage requirements for tropicamide eye drops. The new Minims products require refrigeration (stored at 2–8 °C), whereas the current funded brand (Mydriacyl) does not. The refrigeration requirement for cyclopentolate hydrochloride eye drops remain unchanged (stored at 2–8 °C) for both the current brand (Cyclogyl) and the new Minims brand.

Reason for change

The brand change to single dose cyclopentolate hydrochloride and tropicamide eye drops is being made to supporting ongoing continuity of supply for these medicines. The currently funded brands (Cyclogyl and Mydriacyl, supplied in 15 ml bottles) are being discontinued for supply to the funded market by the manufacturer. Pharmac has been working with suppliers to manage this discontinuation and, through the 2025/26 Annual Invitation to Tender process, has secured supply of an alternative brand of cyclopentolate hydrochloride and tropicamide eye drops in single dose ampoule form. We will communicate more detail on this change closer to the time of the change of brand.

What you told us

We consulted on potential brand changes for some medicines included in the 2025/26 ITT in April 2026. Feedback from this consultation reflected a range of views, with some recurring themes from last year’s consultations (May and July 2025(external link)). All feedback received has been carefully considered to inform our decisions.

Earlier this year, we also we also engaged with a range of consumer advocacy representatives to understand what a brand change could mean for people and what support may be needed.

We are continuing to consider feedback relating to medicines included in the May 2025, July 2025 and April 2026 potential brand change consultations that are not included in this notification.

The table below outlines the themes identified in the feedback received for the specific medicines included in this notification.

Theme	Pharmac Comment
Cyclopentolate hydrochloride & Tropicamide
For cyclopentolate, it is typically prescribed for shorter courses and smaller bottles, or preservative free vials, may be therefore preferable. This would allow safer amounts to be dispensed to patients, especially paediatric. If a change in size occurred, prescribers should be notified.	This decision is to award a preservative free single dose vial. This change will be communicated to the sector.
Consider the way the eye drops containers deliver the product. If it is difficult, that could mean patients are less likely to follow usage instructions properly.	The Tender Clinical Advisory Committee (TCAC), reviewed the Bausch and Lomb brands, including testing the way the dropper works, and considered it to be suitable to be the main funded brand of cyclopentolate hydrochloride and tropicamide eye drops in New Zealand. TCAC is made up of a range of healthcare professionals including pharmacists, nurses and doctors who have hands-on experience with medicines and understand the practical implications of different product characteristics.
Tropicamide and cyclopentolate are key diagnostic medicines that are used the most frequently of any ophthalmic medication. Requiring refrigeration could create challenges, particularly due to the storage space needed and difficulties with cold chain management in community, mobile, and lower‑use settings such as optometry and GP clinics.	We understand that refrigeration requirements and single dose droppers may not be the preferred option for everyone. We have engaged with a range of ophthalmology, optometry, and pharmacy stakeholders, who advised that the change to single use ampoules requiring refrigeration is manageable within existing storage facilities and maintaining continuity of supply of cyclopentolate hydrochloride and tropicamide eye drops remains the priority. Pharmac will support this transition and ensure that all affected users are informed of the changes.
Concerns about the environmental impact of using single‑use plastic vials for routine medications, which are not considered appropriate unless preservative‑free formulations are necessary.	Pharmac staff acknowledge the environmental impact single use plastic vials have and will ensure this is considered during any future procurement activity.
There is interest in exploring improvements to Pharmac’s tendering process to better attract suppliers able to provide more suitable products for maintaining reliable supply in New Zealand.	Pharmac acknowledges this interest and will continue its engagement with the pharmaceutical suppliers regarding participation in the New Zealand market.
Granisetron
We did not receive any feedback specific to granisetron.	Key general themes from both rounds of consultation have been considered for this brand change decision.
Losartan
Consider tablet quality, colour and markings.	The Tender Clinical Advisory Committee (TCAC), reviewed the Miro brand, including the tablet features and considered it to be suitable to be the main funded brand of losartan in New Zealand. Pharmac staff note the Miro tablets are identical to the currently funded Teva tablets.
We received feedback about potential for new side effects and whether a new suppliers’ products would suit all patients, highlighting the need for clear communication and educational resources to support any changes.	The new brand, Ipca-Losartan, is Medsafe approved and meets internationally agreed standards for safety, quality, and efficacy. The Miro brand is identical to the incumbent brand; is the same formulation and is manufactured at the same site. There will be no changes to losartan other than the packaging. The Alternative Brand Allowance would allow patients to apply for funded access to a different brand if their prescriber considers the funded brand would be clinically unsuitable for their needs. As part of our implementation approach, support resources and clear communications will be shared to inform those involved in people’s care, including healthcare professionals about the new brand.
Naltrexone hydrochloride
Consider tablet quality, colour and markings.	The Tender Clinical Advisory Committee (TCAC), reviewed the Lupin brand, including the tablet features and considered it to be suitable to be the main funded brand of naltrexone hydrochloride in New Zealand. The TCAC reviewed and tested the deblistering and divisibility of Lupin’s naltrexone hydrochloride tablets and did not note any concerns. The colour of naltrexone hydrochloride tablets would change from pale yellow to light beige, and this will be clearly communicated to the sector. Both the currently funded tablet and Lupin tablet are unmarked tablets with a scoreline to support ease of divisibility.
Rosuvastatin
Remove or relax the funding restrictions to support more flexible use. Any relaxation of funding restrictions must be paired with robust implementation safeguards to ensure patient safety and access, continuity of care, optimise therapy and system efficiency, and reduce administrative barriers.	This tender decision is to award the widened access line items. This means from 1 October 2026, the Special Authority and Hospital Restrictions on rosuvastatin tablets will be removed. We acknowledge that clear, consistent, multi-channel communications and implementation activities are needed to effectively support the removal of funding restrictions. Targeted and tailored communications will be undertaken as part of implementing this decision.
Thiotepa
Any brand change introducing different or more difficult side effects would require early, clear, and easy-to-understand communication to support patients and their whānau. Distribution of information to both patients and healthcare professionals (including nurses, GPs, and specialists) was considered important to support a well-managed transition.	We acknowledge that clear, consistent, multi-channel communications are needed to effectively support brand changes and effective communication is required to minimise the impact on users of medicines. This decision is to award the currently funded brand of thiotepa inj 15 mg and inj 100 mg.