Pharmac To Fully Fund Testosterone Gel For All Who Need It

Pharmac – Te Pātaka Whaioranga is funding testosterone
gel without restrictions as an additional testosterone
treatment for anyone who needs it from 1 April
2024.

“We understand there is a wide range of people
who will benefit from having open access to this treatment,
where other forms of testosterone might not be
appropriate,” says Pharmac’s Director Advice and
Assessment Dr David Hughes.Pharmac to fully fund
testosterone gel for all who need it

Testosterone gel
is primarily used as a hormone replacement for people who
don’t produce enough testosterone. It is rubbed onto the
skin to increase the levels of the hormone in the
body.

The gel will now be added to the list of
currently funded testosterone products which come in
injection, capsule or patch form.

Simon Mark*, is a
regular user of testosterone treatment, “In 2005, when I
was living in the UK, I was diagnosed with severe clinical
depression, due to a significant drop in my testosterone
levels. I used TestoGel on a daily basis for more than five
years and the positive impact on both my physical and mental
health was remarkable in a fairly short space of
time.”

“Since this time I’ve returned home to
New Zealand and tried the other funded treatment options. I
was very pleased to learn that the gel may be funded by
Pharmac as I knew it would provide me with a more stable and
reliable form of treatment going forward and improve my
quality of life.”

Dr Luke Bradford, Medical Director
of The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners,
welcomes the addition of another way for people to access
treatment with testosterone.

“We’re pleased to see
that gel testosterone will be added to the Pharmaceutical
Schedule. The fact that a specialist general practitioner
will be able to prescribe this to any patient that needs it
will really support those with an unmet health need,
therefore supporting equitable health
outcomes.”

“In General Practice we hear that due
to allergic reactions, or fear of needles that the other
methods of receiving testosterone treatment aren’t
suitable for them. Having the gel presentation available
will also allow useful flexibility of dosage.”

This
decision follows a competitive procurement process for the
supply of non-injectable testosterone through a

Request
for Proposals (RFP)

.

After Pharmac received
the proposals from suppliers an evaluation committee
considered these and tested the products put forward to test
their suitability. Consumers are involved in this process to
ensure Pharmac considers the needs of the
community.

“We’re grateful for the variety of
responses we received to the consultation. Having input from
the community and clinicians is a really important part of
our decision-making process,” says Dr
Hughes.

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