Schedule Dispatches

This is an early notification of the changes to be announced in the Update to the Pharmaceutical Schedule.

The full Update is available as a PDF(external link)

The changes will be published in the online Schedule around the 23^rd of this month and are effective from next month.

For any questions about these listing changes or the Pharmaceutical Schedule in general, email us at enquiry@pharmac.govt.nz

New Listings

• Atazanavir sulphate (Atazanavir Viatris) cap 150 mg – Special Authority – Retail pharmacy (p’code 2660016)
• Atorvastatin (Lipitor) tab 20 mg (p’code 2699621)
• Bevacizumab inj 25 mg per ml, 4 ml (p’code 2700700) and 16 ml vial (p’code 2700719) (Vegzelma) and inj 1 mg for ECP (Baxter) (p’code 2700468) – PCT only – Special Authority
• Clarithromycin (Klaricid) tab 250 mg – maximum of 500 mg per prescription; can be waived by Special Authority, s29 and wastage claimable (p’code 2698056)
• Colistin sulphomethate (Colomycin) inj 2 million iu, 10 ml vial – Retail pharmacy-Specialist – Subsidy by endorsement, s29 and wastage claimable (p’code 2698005)
• Flucloxacillin (Staphlex) cap 250 mg (p’code 2139006) and 500 mg (p’code 2139014) – up to 30 cap available on a PSO
• Gentamicin sulphate (Gentamicin Amdipharm) inj 40 mg per ml, 2 ml ampoule – Subsidy by endorsement, s29 and wastage claimable (p’code 2700506)
• Influenza vaccine (Influvac Tetra (2025 formulation)) inj 60 mcg in 0.5 ml syringe (quadrivalent vaccine) – maximum of 1 inj per prescription, only on a prescription, no patient co-payment payable and access criteria applies (p’code 2696274)
• Lanreotide (Mytolac) inj 60 mg per 0.5 ml, 0.5 ml syringe (p’code 2698145) and inj 120 mg per 0.5 ml, 0.5 ml syringe (p’code 2698161) – Special Authority – Retail pharmacy
• Letrozole (Accord) tab 2.5 mg – S29 and wastage claimable (p’code 2699923)
• Pharmacy services (BSF Dasatinib-Teva) brand switch fee – may only be claimed once per patient (p’code 2700441)
• Prochlorperazine (Prochlorperazine Max Health) tab 3 mg buccal (p’code 2700131)
• Venlafaxine (Enlafax XR) cap 75 mg (p’code 2698714) and cap 150 mg (p’code 2698722), 28 cap pack

Changes to restrictions, chemical names and presentations

• Aqueous cream (Evara) crm, 500 g – reinstate stat dispensing
• Atezolizumab inj 60 mg per ml, 20 ml vial (Tecentriq) and inj 1 mg for ECP (Baxter) – amended Special Authority criteria
• Dasatinib (Dasatinib-Teva) tab 20 mg, 50 mg and 70 mg – addition of brand switch fee
• Denosumab (Xgeva) inj 120 mg per 1.7 ml vial – amended Special Authority criteria
• Denosumab (Prolia) inj 60 mg per 1 ml prefilled syringe – amended presentation description and Special Authority criteria
• Diltiazem hydrochloride (Diltiazem CD Clinect) cap long-acting 120 mg – reinstate stat dispensing
• Dulaglutide (Trulicity) inj 6 mg per 0.5 ml prefilled pen – amended note
• Entacapone (Entacapone Viatris) tab 200 mg – amended brand name
• Lenvatinib (Lenvima) cap 4 mg and 10 mg – amended Special Authority criteria
• Levonorgestrel (Microlut) tab 30 mcg – amended PSO quantity
• Liraglutide (Victoza) inj 6 mg per ml, 3 ml prefilled pen – amended Special Authority criteria and note
• Long-acting Somatostatin Analogues – new therapeutic subgroup with Special Authority criteria
• Methylphenidate hydrochloride extended-release tab extended-release 18 mg, 27 mg, 36 mg and 54 mg (Concerta) and cap modified-release 10 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg and 40 mg (Ritalin LA) – amended Special Authority criteria
• Octreotide long-acting (Sandostatin LAR) inj depot 10 mg, 20 mg and 30 mg prefilled syringe – moved to a new therapeutic subgroup
• Oestradiol (Estrogel) gel (transdermal) 0.06% 750 mcg/actuation), 80 g OP – addition of stat dispensing

Increased subsidy

Chemical	Presentation	Fully subsidised brands
Antithymocyte globulin (equine)	Inj 50 mg per ml, 5 ml	ATGAM
Benzathine benzylpenicillin	Inj 900 mg (1.2 million units) in 2.3 ml syringe	Bicillin LA
Clozapine	Suspension 50 mg per ml, 100 ml	Versacloz
Dantrolene	Cap 25 mg	Dantrium S29
Desferrioxamine mesilate	Inj 500 mg vial	DBL Desferrioxamine Mesylate for Inj BP
Heparin sodium	Inj 25,000 iu per ml, 0.2 ml	Hospira
Lidocaine [lignocaine] hydrochloride	Inj 1% and 2%, 20 ml vial	Lidocaine-Baxter
Medroxyprogesterone acetate	Inj 150 mg per ml, 1 ml syringe	Depo-Provera
Methotrexate	Inj 2.5 mg per ml, 2 ml	Methotrexate DBL
Methylprednisolone (as sodium succinate)	Inj 500 mg vial Inj 1 g vial	Solu-Medrol-Act-O-Vial Solu-Medrol
Sulfasalazine	Tab 500 mg Tab EC 500 mg	Salazopyrin Salazopyrin EN
Theophylline	Tab long-acting 250 mg Oral liq 80 mg per 15 ml, 500 ml	Nuelin SR Nuelin

Decreased subsidy

Chemical	Presentation	Fully subsidised brands
Denosumab	Inj 60 mg per 1 ml prefilled syringe	Prolia
Trimethoprim with sulphamethoxazole [co-trimoxazole]	Oral liq 8 mg sulphamethoxazole 40 mg per ml, 100 ml	Deprim
Voriconazole	Tab 50 mg and tab 200 mg	Vttack