Pharmac plans to improve access to asthma inhalers

Pharmac is seeking feedback on a proposal to make it easier for people with asthma to access a type of inhaler.

“We’re proposing two changes, which would make it easier for 120,000 New Zealanders with asthma to access the inhalers they need,” says Pharmac’s Director Pharmaceuticals, Geraldine MacGibbon.

Pharmac is proposing to apply three-monthly (all at once) dispensing to certain types of budesonide with eformoterol inhalers. Currently these inhalers are available on prescription, with people required to collect their treatment every month.

If approved, people would be able to receive three months of supply at a time.

“People won’t have to return to their pharmacy multiple times collect repeats for their inhalers. It would save time for New Zealanders and mean that people could have more than one inhaler at a time and store them where they are mostly likely to need them,” MacGibbon says.

Pharmac is also proposing a change which would provide further support for New Zealanders moving onto these inhalers.

“We’re proposing to make these inhalers available in health care clinics on a Practitioners Supply Order (PSO). This would mean that people who are starting their treatment can learn how to use this inhaler during their health appointment.

“This change is intended to make it easier for people to learn how to use their budesonide with eformoterol inhalers, which would lead to better management of their asthma,” MacGibbon says.

She says the changes being proposed align with the asthma treatment guidelines and would have a positive impact for hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders living with asthma.

“These changes would give people with asthma more flexibility in accessing the inhalers they need, and ensure people learn how to use them correctly” MacGibbon says.

The Government provided additional funding to Pharmac in June 2024 to fund new medicines and widen access to medicines that are already funded

Consultation opens today and closes at 4pm Friday 9th May 2025. Feedback can be emailed to consult@pharmac.govt.

Proposal to improve access to budesonide with eformoterol inhalers