Empowering New Zealand Nurses for Excellence in Healthcare

From 1 March 2026 all HIV medicines will be able to be dispensed in three-month amounts, rather than monthly, making it easier for people to manage their treatment. In October, we consulted on three changes to the way New Zealanders access HIV medicines. Thank you to all those who provided feedback. In response to this feedback, we have delayed the proposed effective date from 1 December 2025 to 1 March 2026 to give everyone more time to adapt. We also decided not to remove Special...

Issue 334 - 27 November 2025 Welcome to the fortnightly Health Improvement and Innovation Digest. The Digest has links to key evidence of interest, with access to new content arranged by topic. You can forward this newsletter to others who may be interested in receiving it. They can register and subscribe here . You can also access other recent issues of the digest here. If you have any queries, please email us at  library@health.govt.nz Article Access For articles that aren't open access,...

Looking for a new challenge? We are seeking a passionate Registered Nurse to support the development of New Zealand nursing procedures.  Lippincott is offering a part-time, work-from-home, flexible, freelance clinical editor role.   Please see job description attached.

We are writing to inform you that Sanofi, the supplier of isoniazid 100mg with rifampicin 150mg ( Rifinah ) tab, has advised of a supply issue due to delays with manufacturing. The current stock has the expiry date 30 November 2025.    Key messages: An alternative brand Rifamazid  has been listed (funded) from 1 December 2025. This is an unapproved medicine and as such needs to be prescribed and dispensed in line with section 29 of the Medicines Act. It is estimated it will be available to...

We want your feedback on a proposal to fund nitisinone for people with rare inherited metabolic disorders, including tyrosinemia type 1 and alkaptonuria. Nitisinone is currently funded through Pharmac’s Named Patient Pharmaceutical Assessment (NPPA) pathway. Under this proposal, it would be listed on the Pharmaceutical Schedule, making it easier for clinicians to prescribe and helping ensure ongoing supply in New Zealand. More information about the proposal is available here The consultation...

Coming up in CPD:  Tricky question... What do Ralph Stewart, Samantha Newman, Ben Chan, Hannah Giles, Ryan Paul, Buzz Burrell (and about 60 others) all have in common? Here's the answer   Post-partum hypertension; practical management WEBINAR 2 December: Dr Jamie Kitt, dual accredited Cardiology & General Internal Medicine Consultant on how to achieve optimal blood pressure control in women puerperium.  Register here   Cannabis-based products The March Medicines Amendment Act aims to enable...

About the role This full-time (32-40 hours/week) Nurse Team Leader position at Ostend Medical Centre, part of the Waiheke Health Trust, offers the chance to lead a team of primary care nurses providing high-quality care to residents and visitors on beautiful Waiheke Island. As the Nurse Team Leader, you will play a key strategic role in overseeing the nursing team and ensuring the delivery of exceptional patient outcomes. What you'll be doing Provide clinical leadership and direction to the...

About the role Ostend Medical Centre, part of the Waiheke Health Trust, is seeking an experienced Nurse Practitioner to join our dynamic team on the idyllic Waiheke Island, Auckland. As a Nurse Practitioner, you will play a crucial role in providing comprehensive and compassionate healthcare to our local community. This flexible role (24-40 hours per week) offers the opportunity to work in a supportive and collaborative interdisciplinary environment, delivering a wide range of primary care...

This link  will take you to the proposal to enter into an agreement for sterilisation and decontamination equipment and associated consumable medical devices supplied by Steris New Zealand Limited (“Steris”). Steris’ range of medical devices are proposed to be listed on the Pharmaceutical Schedule under a Pharmac agreement from 1 February 2025. A list of products included in the proposal is attached .  Pharmac welcomes feedback on this proposal.  To provide feedback, please submit it in...

Below is the latest information on Pharmac consultations, notifications, and supply issues for Primary Care Prescribers for week 21 November 2025. It includes information on:  New updates Resolved Supply Issues Pharmac funding both Estradot and Estradiol TDP Mylan brands of oestradiol patches From 1 December 2025, the funded brands of oestradiol patches will be Estradiol TDP Mylan and Estradot. Everyone who uses funded oestradiol patches will need to use either of these brands. The following...

New medicine supply notices Enalapril: Your brand is changing  The funded brand of enalapril is changing from Acetec to Ipca-Enalapril. It will be listed from 1 December 2025. It is the exact same product as supplied under the Ethics brand. Details and a patient flyer available on the website. Oxycodone oral liquid (Lucis)  (Pharmacode: 2678500) Following the oxycodone tablet supply issue, there is now limited stock of the oral liquid. An alternative brand, Rosemont (Pharmacode 22717239),...

Smarter consults, better care: What to expect at the 2026 Symposium Need a fast and simple toolkit for mental health consults? Sophie Ball can help with that. Insomnia: a very common complaint within general practice. Alex Bartle will walk us through medication options and strategies to deliver some behavioural treatments within a short consultation. Prostate cancer care is changing fast. Discover how to lead smarter testing, engage in better conversations, and follow up more effectively. And...

This link  will take you to the notification of the decision to approve an agreement with Obex Medical Limited (“Obex”) for medical devices in the following categories:  •    adhesives, sealants, and haemostats •    feeding equipment and associated devices •    medical and surgical instruments and power tools  •    medical imaging, software, and associated products  •    patient assessment, monitoring, and treatment •    patient warming and cooling  •    sterilisation and...

Over the last few months, I have met with people across the health sector, spoken at conferences and attended stakeholder meetings. One thing that has struck me - other than the dedication of our health professionals - is that people are unclear on the role of the Ministry of Health, and what we are mandated to do. The Ministry of Health is the Government’s lead adviser on health, ensuring the health system delivers for the current and future needs of all New Zealanders. Audrey Sonerson...

Pharmac is seeking feedback on a proposal to fund another brand of methylphenidate - Rubifen LA - to help ease ongoing supply issues and provide more treatment options for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). If approved, this brand would be funded from 1 July 2026.   Proposal to fund a new brand of methylphenidate We welcome your feedback. Consultation is open until 5 pm, Thursday 4 December 2025. Please send your feedback to consult@pharmac.govt.nz  or use the online...

A 2025 BMJ review found that a range of exercises were helpful for knee osteoarthritis 1 . The findings demonstrated that exercise was effective at improving pain, function, gait performance, and quality of life in individuals with knee osteoarthritis. There is a lack of studies comparing different types of exercise. None of the exercise interventions resulted in more adverse safety events than the control group, suggesting that exercise therapy is a safe treatment approach. Reference:...

Kia ora,Pharmac is seeking feedback on a proposal to fund another brand of methylphenidate - Rubifen LA - to help ease ongoing supply issues and provide more treatment options for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). If approved, this brand would be funded from 1 July 2026.   Proposal to fund a new brand of methylphenidate We welcome your feedback. Consultation is open until 5 pm, Thursday 4 December 2025. Please send your feedback to consult@pharmac.govt.nz or use...

Kia ora   We are writing to inform you of a brand change.   Key Dates: Fulvestrant EVER Pharma brand of fulvestrant inj 50 mg per ml, 5 ml prefilled syringe will be listed (funded) on the Pharmaceutical Schedule from 1 December 2025. Fulvestrant EVER Pharma will be awarded Principal Supply Status (the main funded brand) from 1 May 2026 to 30 June 2028. The current brand Faslodex will be delisted (no longer funded) 1 May 2026.   Key Messages: Fulvestrant EVER Pharma is currently being supplied...

Full time, permanent role in mental health Extra Annual Leave + Paid Wellbeing Days + $250 HealthNow Card Earn up to $93,384 per annum + Hamilton based   Join our Mobile Team and use your nursing expertise to assess, plan, implement, + evaluate whānau health needs. Pathways | Mō mātou As a leading mental health and addiction service in Aotearoa, we empower individuals to live full lives in their communities. Prioritising mental health while aiming for overall well-being, we foster strong...