Pharmac proposal to remove the Special Authority renewal requirements for 5 medicines

In response to this feedback, Pharmac is proposing to remove the Special Authority renewal requirements for five medicines used for long-term conditions which have no clinical renewal criteria. While this renewal is meant to prompt a prescriber check-in to confirm the patient is benefiting from treatment, in practice this action isn’t linked to the timing of the renewal.
Further, Special Authorities are a primarily a funding tool for medicines, rather than a tool for clinical review.
 
Special Authorities proposed for renewal requirements removal:

• Long-acting Muscarinic Antagonists with Long-acting Beta-Adrenoceptor Agonists (LAMA/LABA) inhalers for respiratory conditions

• Epoetin alfa for chronic renal failure

• Insulin pump consumables for type 1 diabetes

• Budesonide capsules for Crohn’s disease and microscopic colitis

• Febuxostat for gout

 
Removing unnecessary administration for healthcare professionals
The five Special Authorities under this proposal have a large volume of renewals. Removing the renewal requirements for these medicines would reduce renewals by approximately 12,000 per annum which is almost 10% of all Special Authority renewals per year.
 
Easier to access medicines for long-term conditions
The intent of the government decision to implement 12-month prescriptions is to make it easier for patients to access long-term medicines. All medicines under this proposal are used for long-term conditions and are more likely to lend themselves to longer prescriptions. Removing the Special Authority renewal requirements ensures uninterrupted treatment and funded dispensings for patients. 
 
Pharmac will continue to actively consider the need for Special Authority renewals as we fund new treatments and review the need for Special Authority renewal requirements.
 
We want to hear from you 
Pharmac want to ensure our proposal to remove the Special Authority renewal requirements on these five medicines would have a beneficial effect without unintended consequences.
 
Pharmac look forward to hearing from you by 12pm Monday 15 September. Please send any feedback to consult@pharmac.govt.nz