Pharmac funds new hospital medicine for drug-resistant infections

Pharmac will fund a new medicine for people in hospital with serious multidrug-resistant bacterial infections from 1 November 2026, and will widen access to three other medicines.

Pharmac estimates that around 20 to 33 people a year over the next five years would receive the new medicine, ceftolozane with tazobactam. Some of them already get it through an exceptions pathway called the Named Patient Pharmaceutical Assessment, or NPPA.

“These decisions will improve access to medicines for people with serious infections and for people with spinal cord injuries who experience sudden episodes of high blood pressure while making it easier for clinicians to access funded treatments on behalf of their patients,” said Adrienne Martin, Pharmac’s Chief Advisor, Pharmaceuticals.

What is changing

From 1 November 2026, ceftolozane with tazobactam will be funded in Health New Zealand hospitals for people with significant multi-drug resistant bacterial infections. Pharmac expects it to be used mainly for serious infections caused by multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacterales bacteria.

Bedaquiline and linezolid will also be funded for non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections, known as NTM. Pharmac describes NTM as a group of bacteria found naturally in the environment that can sometimes cause serious infections, particularly in people with underlying lung disease or weakened immune systems. About 11 people a year are expected to benefit in the first five years of funding.

Captopril oral liquid will be funded for people with spinal cord injuries who have episodes of high blood pressure from autonomic dysreflexia, where glyceryl trinitrate is not suitable. Pharmac estimates that up to 50 people a year over the next 5 years would receive it.

Martin said captopril oral liquid can help people manage these episodes at home and reduce the need for urgent hospital treatment.

Less paperwork for clinicians

Pharmac says listing these medicines on the Pharmaceutical Schedule will make it easier for eligible people to get treatment and give more certainty about what is funded. Clinicians will no longer need to submit NPPA applications to treat some patients with these medicines.

Changes after consultation

Pharmac sent out a consultation letter dated 15 September 2026 and heard from hospital and primary care clinicians. Feedback on the proposal was broadly supportive.

Pharmac has added renewal criteria for bedaquiline and linezolid, so treatment can continue beyond 12 months where appropriate. It has also widened the captopril oral liquid criteria to cover people with spinal cord injury and autonomic dysreflexia who do not tolerate or cannot self-administer glyceryl trinitrate.

Pharmac lists people with drug resistant or NTM infections and their whānau, and people with spinal cord injuries and their whānau, among those most likely to be interested. The full decision and the Schedule changes are on the Pharmac website.