2 December 2021 - Another dismal year in terms of the number of new medicines listed in the New Zealand Pharmaceutical Schedule.

PHARMAC has released its final issue of the New Zealand Pharmaceutical Schedule for 2021. One can now review the new medicines listed in the schedule this year.

Below is a list of the new medicines/vaccines listed in the New Zealand Pharmaceutical Schedule in 2021 by month:

• January - Nepafenac (Ilevro)
• February - Empagliflozin (Jardiance), Empagliflozin with metformin hydrochloride (Jardiamet)
• March - Ivacaftor (Kalydeco)
• April - NIL
• May - NIL
• June - NIL
• July - Meningococcal Group B vaccine (multicomponent) (Bexsero)
• August - Rasagiline mesylate (Azilect)
• September - Upadacitinib monohydrate (Rinvoq)
• October - NIL
• November - NIL
• December - NIL

All up, only six new medicines and one new vaccine.

This meagre total should in fact be lower given one could argue that we have double counted empagliflozin. We have also been generous by deeming nepafenac and rasagiline mesylate to be new medicines. Nepafenac was first approved by the FDA in 2005 and rasagiline mesylate in 2006. Generic versions of rasagiline mesylate have been available in Australia since 2019.

This tally is what one would expect from a developing country. 

Of course, PHARMAC will state in its Annual Review for 2021 that the tally is much higher.

Look for more insights on PHARMAC in future issues of MAESTrO Daily.