Source: PHARMAC
Pharmac is proposing changes to expand access to funded emergency medicines for community-based health services, aiming to reduce inequities and support faster, safer emergency responses across rural and remote areas in New Zealand.
Currently, some trauma and emergency services in the community do not have the same access to funded medicines as Health NZ hospitals and ambulance services. This can affect people’s ability to get the medicines they need, when they need them.
“The proposal would allow rural nurses, GPs, and community-based midwives to access the same funded emergency treatments as hospitals and ambulances, says Pharmac’s Director Strategy, Policy, and Performance Michael Johnson.
“It would mean that New Zealanders who live in rural and remote areas will have access to the same standard of emergency care as those who live in urban areas,” says Johnson.
If approved, from 1 March 2026, the following medicines would be funded for use in community emergency care:
- PRIME services: droperidol, glucose (5% 100ml bag and 10% 500ml bag) ketamine, methoxyflurane, intravenous tranexamic acid, and enoxaparin 100mg.
- Home births: intravenous tranexamic acid for postpartum haemorrhage.
These medicines would be available through Practitioner Supply Orders (PSO), allowing authorised health professionals to stock them in advance so they are available for emergencies.
Primary Response in Medical Emergency (PRIME) services are provided by specially trained GPs and nurses from rural general practice, who are first responders for trauma and medical emergencies in rural areas where ambulance services are not readily available.
As part of this proposal, Pharmac is also looking to fund ketamine for uncontrollable pain in people receiving palliative care in their communities.
“Ketamine is currently funded for palliative care in hospitals, but not in the community,” says Johnson. “If this proposal is successful, ketamine will be available by prescription or pre-stocked in rest homes and hospices so that people can get it when they need it.”
Pharmac is working with Health NZ, ACC, ambulance services, rural GPs, midwives, and palliative care providers to understand how the proposed changes would work in practice.
“We want to make sure this proposal works well for the people and services it affects,” says Johnson. “We’re keen to get feedback from across the health sector so that we understand the practical impacts of this proposal.”
Pharmac is seeking feedback to ensure the proposal is fair, workable, and improves emergency care across the country. Consultation is open until Friday 19 December. Feedback can be sent to: consult@pharmac.govt.nz or you can fill out our online feedback form.
