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To All New Zealand Pharmacies, IPA Pharmacy Facilitators and Wholesalers PHARMAC Candesartan tab 32 mg – weight rule change and Medicines Regulation Changes relating to Dental Prescriptions 2 December 2011 2

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Dear Pharmacist / Wholesaler Candesartan tab 32 mg – weight rule change The formulation weight attributed to candesartan 32 mg tablets; Atacand (pharmacode 2223716) and Candestar (pharmacode 2380439) brands has been incorrect in the electronic database for many years. This formulation weight has now been corrected but unfortunately this may cause some repeat dispensings to not be paid correctly from 1 December 2011. Please read the scenarios below for information on what you may need to do for candesartan 32 mg tablet repeat dispensings from 1 December 2011. Please note that dispensings for candesartan 4 mg, 8 mg, and 16 mg tablets are unaffected. Stat or all-at-once dispensing Dispensings for Stat, or all-at-once dispensings, will be unaffected and will be paid as usual. Prescriptions with repeats where the initial dispensing was prior to 1 December 2011 Months one and two will pay as usual, whether dispensed monthly or weekly. Month three dispensing, whether dispensed monthly or weekly, will not pay. Before resubmitting your repeat dispensing claim to Ministry of Health, Sector Services for payment of candesartan 32 mg tablets:  HealthSoft customers will need to cancel and re-price any previously paid dispensings for the same script number  Toniq customers will need to resubmit any previously paid dispensings for the same script number. New prescriptions of candesartan 32 mg dispensed on or after the 1st of December 2011 will be unaffected and paid as usual. Dental Prescriptions – recent changes The final changes from the Medicines Amendment Regulations 2011 (regulations 14, 15 and 18) came into effect from 1 December 2011. The Amendment Regulations ease restrictions

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A470092

on the period of supply but restrictions relating to controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act remain in place. The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1977 state that ”no dentist shall give a prescription for the supply of a controlled drug in any quantity greater than the quantity reasonably required for the treatment of the patient for a period of 7 days”. In addition, Schedule Rule 3.1.3 states that in the case of Class B Controlled Drugs PHARMAC will subsidise only such quantity as is necessary to provide treatment for a period not exceeding five days. If you have any questions regarding the above, please contact PHARMAC on 0800 66 00 50 (9:00am – 5:00pm, Monday to Friday). Yours sincerely Kaye Wilson Senior Schedule Analyst

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