New lung cancer drug funded in multi-product deal

Friday, 3 September 2010, 10:23 am | PHARMAC

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. More >>

Funding change for mental health to save

Monday, 30 August 2010, 11:06 am | PHARMAC

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. More >>

Osteoporosis treatment gets funding tick

Wednesday, 25 August 2010, 10:12 am | PHARMAC

A new funded option for people with the bone disorders osteoporosis and Paget’s disease will be funded in the community from 1 September. More >>

Open Access To Blood-Thinning Drug For Patients

Sunday, 22 August 2010, 2:34 pm | PHARMAC

The heart drug clopidogrel is to have open access from next month, following a major price reduction negotiated by PHARMAC. Clopidogrel thins the blood, so is an important treatment for people who have had, or are at risk of, heart attack and stroke. More >>

Five new members for PHARMAC consumer committee

Thursday, 19 August 2010, 10:01 am | PHARMAC

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

Enhanced access to diabetes treatments

Monday, 16 August 2010, 9:45 am | PHARMAC

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

PHARMAC confirms funding date for Alzheimer’s treatment

Friday, 13 August 2010, 10:33 am | PHARMAC

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

PHARMAC approves funding for contraceptive implant

Monday, 26 July 2010, 11:10 am | PHARMAC

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

PHARMAC to work with hospitals on widened role

Thursday, 22 July 2010, 4:53 pm | PHARMAC

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. More >>

Price reduction for cholesterol drug

Friday, 18 June 2010, 10:23 am | PHARMAC

A 90% price reduction is enabling Government drug funder, PHARMAC, to provide open access to the cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin. More >>

Further funded relief for pain

Monday, 31 May 2010, 9:32 am | PHARMAC

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

First Alzheimer’s treatment to be funded

Thursday, 6 May 2010, 9:17 am | PHARMAC

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. More >>

Prescriptions rising but rate slowing

Tuesday, 8 December 2009, 11:19 am | 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. More >>

Newly-funded antidepressant to meet unmet need

Sunday, 1 November 2009, 5:56 pm | PHARMAC

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. More >>

Health professionals’ role in brand changes

Friday, 30 October 2009, 10:00 am | PHARMAC

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. Highlights from the year included: * Spending managed on budget at $653 million * ... More >>

PHARMAC looking to improve consumer participation

Tuesday, 13 October 2009, 12:02 pm | PHARMAC

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

Local heart day with soul

Monday, 12 October 2009, 3:57 pm | PHARMAC

Otara families can enjoy a morning of hearty fun while learning how to better care for their hearts at Pharmac’s One Heart Many Lives community heart health morning this coming Saturday. More >>

Local heart day with soul

Thursday, 1 October 2009, 5:10 pm | PHARMAC

Porirua families can enjoy a morning of hearty fun while learning how to better care for their hearts at Pharmac’s Local Heart Day this coming Saturday. Men enrolled at the Ora Toa Cannons Creek Medical Centre can also get free heart checks. Stilt ... More >>

New medicines, savings result from agreement

Thursday, 1 October 2009, 1:15 pm | PHARMAC

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). The agreement includes five medicines, including two that have not ... More >>

Heart drug deals to save $65 million

Monday, 7 September 2009, 10:23 am | PHARMAC

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

Metoprolol, a beta-blocker, is used to treat raised blood pressure and heart failure. Until June this year it was only supplied by AstraZeneca as the Betaloc brand. It is currently used by about 200,000 people. More >>