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PHARMAC

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Pharmaceutical Management Agency of New Zealand is part of the New Zealand medicines system and work to improve people's access to medicine, and to promote their optimal use.

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News 25 Sep 2012
PHARMAC welcomes new Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee (PTAC) chair

PHARMAC is welcoming the appointment of Dr Sisira Jayathissa to the chairmanship of PTAC, says Medical Director Dr Peter Moodie.

513 views

Pharmacy 10 Jul 2012
PHARMAC funds new targeted lung cancer drug

Funded treatment options for New Zealand’s most common form of cancer will take a step forward in August when PHARMAC begins funding gefitinib (Iressa), a targeted treatment for lung cancer.

1,023 views

Pharmacy 29 May 2012
PHARMAC moves to protect babies from whooping cough

PHARMAC will extend funding to a type of antibiotic that can be used to treat and prevent pertussis (whooping cough) in children under one.

856 views

Pharmacy 15 Mar 2012
3000 submissions received on diabetes test strips and meters consultation

PHARMAC’s consultation on the proposal to change to a sole supplier of blood glucose testing strips and meters has ended with over 3000 submissions received.

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Pharmacy 13 Mar 2012
End to postcode prescribing for insulin pumps on the horizon

With less than a week remaining, PHARMAC is keen to hear the public’s views on its proposal to fund insulin pumps.

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Pharmacy 2 Mar 2012
Two new targeted cancer drugs funded in agreement

PHARMAC is funding two new targeted cancer medicines following an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline.

537 views

Pharmacy 15 Dec 2011
Investment in medicines highest in PHARMAC history

A surge in the medicines budget over the past three years, combined with PHARMAC’s savings programmes, has seen PHARMAC investing heavily in new medicines.

570 views

Health 2 Dec 2011
One Heart Many Lives supporting health and competition at IronMāori

NAPIER — The IronMāori event in Napier on 3 December is serious competition but brings a serious health message too, says PHARMAC’s Māori health manager Marama Parore.

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Pharmacy 31 Oct 2011
Papers reveal PHARMAC's cautious approach with new anticoagulant drug

Papers released by PHARMAC today outline the careful consideration given before funding was approved for the new-generation anticoagulant drug dabigatran (Pradaxa).

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Pharmacy 30 Sep 2011
PHARMAC Board strengthens relationship with DHBs

Getting closer to district health boards, on whose behalf PHARMAC aims to spend $777 million this year, took on a new meaning today.

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Pharmacy 28 Jul 2011
PHARMAC widens access to two cancer drugs

Cancer treatment has taken another step forward with PHARMAC recently approving wider funding for two cancer treatments.

509 views

Pharmacy 27 Jun 2011
'More permissive' system follows Exceptional Circumstances review

PHARMAC is moving to a more permissive and streamlined system for assessing people seeking medicines that aren’t funded on the Pharmaceutical Schedule.

535 views

Pharmacy 23 Jun 2011
Two new treatments for bone-thinning disease

PHARMAC is funding two new treatments for the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis.

506 views

Pharmacy 20 Jun 2011
Indigenous Cardiovasular Health conference

A New Zealand preventative health campaign which has significantly improved take-up of cholesterol lowering medication among Maori and Pacific Island males sets the bar for Australia to develop its own initiatives to achieve similar outcomes for Indigenous Australians.

862 views

Pharmacy 16 Jun 2011
PHARMAC welcomes PTAC reappointment

PHARMAC is welcoming the reappointment of Waikato Hospital physician Dr Graham Mills to the Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee (PTAC).

530 views

Pharmacy 14 Jun 2011
'Game-changing' anti-clotting treatment funded

PHARMAC is funding an innovative form of anti-blood clotting treatment that will significantly change the way anticoagulation is managed in New Zealand.

573 views

Pharmacy 2 May 2011
US trade deal could scuttle Pharmac

Kiwis could be paying more for pharmaceuticals if the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade negotiations are successful, the Green Party said today.

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Pharmacy 1 May 2011
PHARMAC to fund new multiple myeloma treatments

PHARMAC is enabling New Zealanders with multiple myeloma (MM) to benefit from early use of a new treatment, bortezomib (Velcade) as well as providing wider access to thalidomide, another treatment used for MM.

535 views

Pharmacy 29 Apr 2011
New funded treatment for epilepsy

People with epilepsy will have a new funded treatment from 1 May, when PHARMAC begins funding for lacosamide (Vimpat).

508 views

Pharmacy 26 Apr 2011
PHARMAC to fund sleep disorder treatment

PHARMAC will fund a new treatment for the sleep disorder narcolepsy from 1 May 2011.

529 views

Food 28 Feb 2011
PHARMAC reduces paperwork, expands access to Special Foods

Changes in access rules for funded special foods will see more prescribers able to supply funded special foods to patients.

525 views

Pharmacy 22 Dec 2010
Three new members appointed to PHARMAC advisory committee

PHARMAC is welcoming the appointment of three new members to the Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee (PTAC).

694 views

Health 15 Dec 2010
Adaptable approach key to success in hospitals, says PHARMAC CE

Learning from past experience will serve PHARMAC well as it takes a greater role in purchasing hospital medicines, says Chief Executive Matthew Brougham.

576 views

Pharmacy 29 Nov 2010
Wider access to MS treatments; new drugs in Bayer agreement

Government drug funder PHARMAC will provide wider access to treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS), and fund new blood-thinning and antibiotic treatments following an agreement with Bayer New Zealand Limited.

566 views

Health 25 Nov 2010
Two further treatments for depression to be funded

PHARMAC is adding two further treatments for depression to the Pharmaceutical Schedule from 1 December 2010.

540 views

Health 22 Nov 2010
Brain tumour patients to gain greater access to expensive drug

People with brain tumours are to have greater access to an expensive cancer drug from 1 December.

524 views

Health 28 Oct 2010
Agreement seals new kidney cancer, smoking cessation, arthritis treatments

Patients with a form of kidney cancer will have a new treatment option as part of a multi-product agreement between PHARMAC and Pfizer.

613 views

Health 22 Oct 2010
New money leads to leap in availability of medicines to NZers

A $40 million lift in pharmaceutical spending has led to a significant rise in the number of medicines available to New Zealanders, and the number of people receiving them.

555 views

Health 21 Oct 2010
PHARMAC launches new tool to help track medicine funding applications

PHARMAC has launched a new online tool that will give people a look inside PHARMAC’s evaluation of medicine funding applications.

692 views

Pharmacy 18 Oct 2010
Multi-resistant HIV strains prompt new funding

Two newly funded medicines will help the fight against drug-resistant strains of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in a multi-product deal that will also help fight infections in hospitals.

601 views

Pharmacy 20 Sep 2010
PHARMAC increases access to heart treatments

Decisions by PHARMAC will see easier access to treatments for people at risk of heart attack or stroke because of raised cholesterol levels.

424 views

Health 10 Sep 2010
New website provides tools to help better manage childhood asthma

PHARMAC and the Asthma Foundation have today launched a new website designed to help people better manage children’s asthma.

494 views

Pharmacy 3 Sep 2010
New lung cancer drug funded in multi-product Roche agreement

Funding a new drug for people with advanced lung cancer and widening access to two other cancer treatments are features of a new agreement PHARMAC has reached with pharmaceutical company Roche Products (NZ) Ltd.

537 views

Pharmacy 30 Aug 2010
Funding change for mental health medicine to save $24 million

Price reductions for antipsychotic medicines will release $24 million of savings over the next five years which PHARMAC can use to fund other medicines, the Government drug funder says.

424 views

Pharmacy 23 Aug 2010
Open access to blood-thinning drug for heart patients

The heart drug clopidogrel is to have open access from next month, following a major price reduction negotiated by PHARMAC.

351 views

Pharmacy 19 Aug 2010
Five new members for PHARMAC consumer committee

The PHARMAC Board has appointed five new members to the Government drug funder’s Consumer Advisory Committee.

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Health 16 Aug 2010
Enhanced access to diabetes treatments

People with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are set to benefit from recent decisions by Government drug funder PHARMAC.

176 views

Pharmacy 13 Aug 2010
PHARMAC confirms 1 November funding date for Alzheimer's treatment

PHARMAC has confirmed people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia will have funded access to donepezil from 1 November.

382 views

Pharmacy 26 Jul 2010
PHARMAC approves funding for contraceptive implants

Women wanting longer-term contraception will have a new funded option from 1 August, following a decision by Government medicine funder PHARMAC.

371 views

Health 22 Jul 2010
PHARMAC to work with hospitals on widened role

Consistent national access to medicines for patients and more effective use of DHB funding will be the aims of PHARMAC’s involvement in funding hospital medicines and medical devices, Chief Executive Matthew Brougham says.

172 views

Pharmacy 30 May 2010
Further funded relief for pain

PHARMAC will fund a further pain relief treatment option – tramadol 50mg capsules - from 1 June.

543 views

Health 6 May 2010
First Alzheimer's treatment to be funded

People with Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia will have access to a funded medicine for the first time, following a decision by PHARMAC.

210 views

Pharmacy 8 Dec 2009
Promoting competition continuing to pay dividends, says PHARMAC

Promoting competition through its purchasing strategies is continuing to provide long-term benefits, according to Government medicine funder PHARMAC.

458 views

Health 8 Dec 2009
PHARMAC seeks doctors' advice

PHARMAC is seeking a medical opinion – it wants doctors’ advice on how it can best communicate with clinicians.

325 views

Pharmacy 8 Dec 2009
Prescriptions for medicine keep rising but rate slowing, says PHARMAC

Prescriptions for government funded medicines increased by almost 4 percent last year to 36.3 million, but the rate of that growth is slowing, drug buying agency PHARMAC says.

475 views

Pharmacy 1 Nov 2009
Newly-funded antidepressant to meet unmet need  PHARMAC

An antidepressant that will be funded from 1 November will help meet an unmet need for people with severe depression, says PHARMAC’s medical director Dr Peter Moodie.

604 views

Pharmacy 29 Oct 2009
PHARMAC pays tribute to health professionals role in brand changes

PHARMAC is acknowledging the role health professionals played in implementing medicine brand changes that affected a very large number of New Zealanders during 2008/09.

349 views

Pharmacy 13 Oct 2009
PHARMAC looking to improve consumer participation

Government medicine funder PHARMAC is asking for feedback on options for improving its consumer participation.

325 views

Pharmacy 1 Oct 2009
New medicines, savings result from agreement

New funded treatments for HIV/AIDS and nausea, and a strengthened osteoporosis treatment have emerged from an agreement between PHARMAC and pharmaceutical company Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD).

400 views

Pharmacy 7 Sep 2009
Heart drug deals to save $65 million

PHARMAC has completed agreements with two companies for the heart drug metoprolol that will realise $65 million of savings over the next five years.

300 views

Pharmacy 3 Aug 2009
New leukaemia treatment funded

PHARMAC is funding a new medication for patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia, called dasatinib (Sprycel).

405 views

Pharmacy 1 Aug 2009
'Biologic' drug funding takes treatment out of hospitals

People with a number of painful and disabling inflammatory conditions will avoid hospital visits for treatment following a funding decision by PHARMAC.

622 views

Pharmacy 30 Jul 2009
PHARMAC welcomes increase in pharmaceutical budget

Government drug funder PHARMAC is welcoming the increase in the pharmaceutical budget, which it says will help ensure people continue to have improving access to medicines.

348 views

Pharmacy 23 Jul 2009
New treatment to overcome drug resistant hepatitis B

PHARMAC is investing in a new medication to help overcome drug resistance for people with hepatitis B.

PHARMAC logo

955 views

Pharmacy 21 Jul 2009
Savings decisions to free up $27 million

Savings on three pharmaceuticals achieved by PHARMAC will free up $27 million for spending on new medicines over the next three years.

370 views

Pharmacy 30 Jun 2009
Cystic fibrosis treatment funded to save patients and money

Funding azithromycin for cystic fibrosis is great news for patients and will save the health sector money, says Government drug-funder PHARMAC.

328 views

Pharmacy 30 Jun 2009
Proposal to fund healthE Fatty Cream (oil in water emulsion)

PHARMAC is seeking feedback on a proposal to fund a new brand of oil in water emulsion cream (healthE Fatty Cream) on the Pharmaceutical Schedule.

1,090 views