Methylphenidate hydrochloride dispensed and funded from 2015 to 2019
19 June 2020
[name and contact details redacted]
Dear [name redacted]
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
Thank you for your email of 27 May 2020, requesting information about the funding of methylphenidate or similar stimulant medications, for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA).
PHARMAC’s role within the New Zealand health system is to make decisions about which medicines and medical devices are funded or subsidised by the New Zealand government. Another government agency, Medsafe (a business unit of the Ministry of Health), decides which pharmaceuticals are approved for use by people in New Zealand.
Methylphenidate, the active ingredient in Ritalin, is a Class B controlled drug with prescribing restrictions under regulation 22 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1977. Details of the prescribing restrictions are provided on Medsafe’s website at:
www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/riss/restrict.asp(external link)
The number of patients prescribed methylphenidate hydrochloride is provided below.
Year Dispensed |
Chemical Name |
Gross Cost ($) |
Number of patients |
2015 |
Methylphenidate hydrochloride |
1,444,413.34 |
16,515 |
|
Methylphenidate hydrochloride extended release |
4,398,456.64 |
|
2016 |
Methylphenidate hydrochloride |
1,554,784.92 |
18,173 |
|
Methylphenidate hydrochloride extended-release |
4,918,076.10 |
|
2017 |
Methylphenidate hydrochloride |
1,721,318.65 |
20,045 |
|
Methylphenidate hydrochloride extended-release |
5,393,539.25 |
|
2018 |
Methylphenidate hydrochloride |
1,876,455.86 |
22,446 |
|
Methylphenidate hydrochloride extended-release |
5,914,773.87 |
|
2019 |
Methylphenidate hydrochloride |
2,025,832.08 |
25,181 |
|
Methylphenidate hydrochloride extended-release |
6,544,864.14 |
Yours sincerely
Rachel Read
Manager, Policy and Government Services