Blog
RSS FeedPosted by Michael Wonder on 31 May 2021
Apotex medicines in New Zealand
31 May 2021 - Apotex has announced that it is leaving the New Zealand market. ...
Posted by Michael Wonder on 21 May 2021
PHARMAC to work with others to improve communication
21 May 2021 - PHARMAC accepts the Coroner’s comments that not all information about the brand change reached patients. ...
Posted by Michael Wonder on 17 Mar 2021
PHARMAC’s drug switch
17 March 2021 - PHARMAC's generic drug swap for epilepsy treatment saved $30 million over five years. But for some ...
Posted by Michael Wonder on 04 Mar 2021
PHARMAC swapping epilepsy drugs 'cannot be discounted' as a cause of deaths — neurologist
4 March 2021 - An Auckland paediatric neurologist says PHARMAC's decision to switch to a generic version of an epilepsy drug ...
Posted by Michael Wonder on 24 Feb 2021
PHARMAC knew of epilepsy drug change risks - inquest
24 February 2021 - PHARMAC knew there were clinical reasons some epilepsy patients would not tolerate a change to their ...
Posted by Michael Wonder on 24 Feb 2021
PHARMAC knew of epilepsy drug change risks within some patients, but went ahead with switch
24 February 2021 - PHARMAC knew there were clinical reasons some epilepsy patients would not tolerate a change to their medicines. ...
Posted by Michael Wonder on 23 Feb 2021
Epilepsy drug deaths: Medsafe told PHARMAC it was 'not desirable' to switch brands
23 February 2021 - The medicines safety authority advised PHARMAC it was “not desirable” for patients to switch brands of ...
Posted by Michael Wonder on 22 Feb 2021
Maker of epilepsy drug warned over quality control
23 February 2021 - The drug at the centre of an inquest into six epilepsy deaths was made at a plant ...
Posted by Michael Wonder on 21 Feb 2021
Epilepsy drug deaths: Coronial inquiry into medication-linked deaths resumes
22 February 2021 - A coronial inquiry into the deaths of six patients whose epilepsy medication was changed before they ...
Posted by Michael Wonder on 30 Nov 2020
GPs tell inquest they were unaware PHARMAC changed their patients' epilepsy drugs
30 November 2020 - Two GPs caring for patients who died after switching brands of an epilepsy drug say they were ...
Posted by Michael Wonder on 29 Nov 2020
Sudden epilepsy deaths: grieving mum speaks out ahead of coronial inquest
28 November 2020 - Michelle Townes believes her 31-year-old son died because the brand of his Government funded drug was switched. ...
Posted by Michael Wonder on 29 Nov 2020
Drug change not ruled out as factor in epilepsy death, neurologist's report says
29 November 2020 - The first official recognition that changing brands of epilepsy drugs may have been a factor in at ...
Posted by Michael Wonder on 22 Jul 2020
Epilepsy medicine linked to deaths not same as previous funded drug — advocacy group
22 July 2020 - Testing commissioned by Patient Voice Aotearoa, a patient advocacy group, shows the three medicines given in New ...
Posted by Michael Wonder on 20 Jul 2020
Grieving families lobby Parliament to reverse epilepsy drug brand switch
21 July 2020 - It has been more than nine months since PHARMAC switched to funding epilepsy drug Logem – a ...
Posted by Michael Wonder on 13 Jul 2020
Doctors and patients anxious after pharma giant Apotex quits New Zealand
13 July 2020 - A patient advocate group says a pharmaceutical giant's decision to pull out of the New Zealand ...