Pharmac is consulting on funding a new progestogen-only
oral contraceptive pill called desogestrel (branded as
Cerazette) from 1 April 2025.
A range of oral
contraceptive pills are currently available in New Zealand
and funding desogestrel would provide another option for
people to help prevent pregnancy.
Pharmac’s Clinical
Lead–Medicines Management, Melissa Copland, says about
43,000 people are expected to benefit from desogestrel in
the first full year of funding.
“We understand
having desogestrel available might better suit the needs of
people who don’t want to or can’t take a contraceptive
pill containing oestrogen. It can also be used by people who
are breastfeeding.”
Desogestrel is a
tablet, taken at about the same time every day. It helps
prevents pregnancy when taken within a 12 hour window each
day, which is a wider window than other funded
progestogen-only pills, which is 3
hours.
It would be funded without any
eligibility criteria so it could be prescribed for any
relevant use and be available on a six month prescription
like other contraceptives.
“We’re consulting to
see what people think of our proposal and how people would
like to see this rolled out. We’re interested to hear what
information people would like to have for when they talk to
their health care professional about their contraception
options, or what resources prescribers would find
useful.”
Public consultation on the funding proposal
is now open and will close on 18 February. More information,
including how to provide feedback, is on Pharmac’s
website.
Pharmac can consider widening access to these
medicines following the Government’s $604 million medicine
budget increase in June 2024. Since receiving the additional
funding, Pharmac has funded 38 medicines for different
health conditions and is currently considering 19 more,
including the medicine in this
proposal.
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