Latest News

09

May 2017

Flu vaccines top one million doses

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says more than one million doses of this year’s seasonal influenza vaccine have now been distributed. "A recent New Zealand study showed that most people infected with influenza in 2015 didn’t experience any symptoms, but could still have spread the virus without realising it," says Dr Coleman.

Read More >

08

May 2017

Take a look at... NZSMI refutes claims about OTC cough and cold remedies

Read More >

04

May 2017

Industry denies cold, flu medicine make unsubstantiated claims

The cold medicine industry is rubbishing the idea sick people are better off taking painkillers and going to bed than taking over-the-counter cold-and-flu remedies. Scott Milne, the executive director of the New Zealand Self Medication Industry Association, says "there aren't too many products that survive on the market for 50 years that don't work".

Read More >

04

May 2017

1 News 6pm - Item 8

New Zealanders are being advised to think twice this winter before shelling out for pricey over-the-counter cold and flu remedies, after Consumer NZ found little scientific evidence to back up their claims. Consumer NZ CEO Sue Chetwin says they looked at 50 over-the-counter remedies and only 20 of them would provide some relief from coughs or colds.

Read More >

04

May 2017

Do cold and flu remedies work or not?

Cold and flu remedies - expensive ones just don’t work says Consumer. The industry responds - says it’s just not so. There are big bucks to be made selling cold and flu remedies. Last year, Kiwis forked out $38 million at the supermarket on pills and potions for fighting winter bugs.

Read More >

04

May 2017

Metoprolol shortage ends but pharmacists remain concerned

By Jonathan Chilton-Towle Pharmacists are relieved the long-running shortage of heart medication metoprolol succinate is over, but are concerned the same thing might happen again if Pharmac does not make changes to its processes. A widely prescribed beta-blocker in New Zealand, metoprolol was reduced from stat to monthly dispensing in January last year due to a shortage of the product.

Read More >

30

Apr 2017

Breakthrough brain tumour visualisation drug Gliolan to be listed on NZ hospital medicines list from 1 June

Specialised Therapeutics Group Monday 01 May 2017, 09:05AM Media release from Specialised Therapeutics Group -GLIOLAN to be funded in all NZ District Health Board (DHB) hospitals following PHARMAC reimbursement decision -Listing follows application by leading NZ neurosurgeon

Read More >

30

Apr 2017

Immunisation week to focus on older kids- Health Minister

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says this year’s theme for the annual immunisation week is ‘ensuring teenagers and older children are immunised.’ "Immunisation week gets underway today, and is a good way to raise awareness of the benefits of immunisation to both the individual and the wider community," says Dr Coleman.

Read More >

28

Apr 2017

New drug makes brain tumours glow in dark

A new drug which ‘lights up’ malignant brain tumours to help surgeons more thoroughly identify the cancer tissue will be widely available to New Zealand patients from 1 June. The drug, GLIOLAN, assists neurosurgeons to more completely remove malignant brain tumours (gliomas) by causing them to become fluorescent during surgery.

Read More >

28

Apr 2017

Pharmac changes to the pharmaceutical schedule for May

Read More >

27

Apr 2017

Drug company trains pathologists, hopes Keytruda funded for lung cancer soon

Pharmaceutical company MSD has been helping cancer centres prepare for the arrival of Keytruda as a funded drug for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. In advance of any decision from Pharmac, MSD has supported New Zealand pathologists to get training and develop protocols for the assay that would identify the lung cancer patients likely to respond to Keytruda (pembrolizumab).

Read More >

18

Apr 2017

Pharmac will not fund tampons and sanitary pads

Read More >

18

Apr 2017

Guild to host third Pharmacy Business Network

The Pharmacy Guild of New Zealand (the Guild) is excited to host the third Pharmacy Business Network (PBN) on Saturday 22 July 2017, at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland. PBN is a one day business management conference for pharmacy owners, managers, and staff.

Read More >

12

Apr 2017

Health professionals learning together makes for better healthcare

How many times have you told your story over and over again to health professionals? Poor communication between clinicians can turn health care into a bad experience. The University of Otago, Wellington (UOW) is turning this around through an interprofessional education (IPE) programme introduced in recent years for students across the disciplines - dietetics, medicine, physiotherapy, and radiation therapy.

Read More >

12

Apr 2017

Northland patients part of worldwide Hepatitis C cure

Northland is among the locations worldwide where a drug to treat Hepatitis C is achieving a near-100 percent success rate. Curing the disease in individuals is hoped to contribute to the worldwide eradication of the debilitating liver disease as an epidemic.

Read More >

09

Apr 2017

Interim Health Centre and pharmacy for Edgecumbe residents opening

Thanks to He Tohunga Ora Mo Rangitaiki Trust, Riverslea Medical Centre and Edgecumbe Pharmacy will be fully operating from this Monday 10th April. Both services will be based in the Te Teko Health Centre Premises at no 8 Edgecumbe-Te Teko road, next to the school.

Read More >

06

Apr 2017

Strategy provides opportunity for improving Pacific health

A new strategy for Pacific health provides an exciting opportunity to improve the health of Pacific people in New Zealand, says PHARMAC Chief Executive Steffan Crausaz. Speaking at the launch of PHARMAC’s Pacific Responsiveness Strategy today, Chief Executive Steffan Crausaz says the strategy will help PHARMAC focus on work to make a positive difference to the health of Pacific people.

Read More >

05

Apr 2017

Flu immunisation campaign launched

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman today launched the annual influenza immunisation campaign at Unichem Miramar Pharmacy, Wellington. "More than one million New Zealanders get immunised against influenza each year," says Dr Coleman. "A recent New Zealand study showed that most people infected with influenza in 2015 didn’t experience any symptoms, but could still have spread the virus without realising it.

Read More >

03

Apr 2017

Scott Milne: Greater restrictions on codeine

Common painkillers containing the opioid codeine, including Nurofen Plus, Panadeine and Codral, could soon be restricted to being a prescription-only medication. To discuss the change, Larry was joined by Scott Milne, executive director of the Self Medication Industry Association.

Read More >

03

Apr 2017

Codeine-based painkillers may become prescription-only

Consumers may have to get a prescription for medicines containing codeine if the Medicines Classification Committee decides to tighten rules. The US, most of Europe and Japan have stopped the sale of over the counter codeine and last year Australia moved to make it prescription only.

Read More >