Weekly Clinical Correspondence Panui

Weekly Clinical Correspondence Panui Please see below clinical correspondence from the past week.

PHARMAC updates • Pharmac notification: decision to fund palivizumab for infants and young children at high risk of RSV during the COVID-19 pandemic. LINK • Pharmac consultation: proposal to fund treatment earlier for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis LINK • Pharmac consultation: proposal to widen access to progesterone, antiretrovirals and nitrofurantoin LINK • Pharmac consultation: proposal to fund treatments for people with breast and blood cancers LINK Care in the Community update for Primary Care 16.5.22 • A reminder that the Ministry of Health will retire the Higher Index of Suspicion (HIS) criteria for COVID-19 next Monday, 23 May 2022. Detailed information about this was recently sent to the sector.

• A recent survey of nearly 150,000 people shows no new safety concerns have been identified for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, with reported reactions similar to those seen in clinical trials of the vaccine.

• Winter modelling on what to expect from COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses in coming months was a focus of the Ministry of Health’s update last Friday, 13 May. ACC Primary Care provider update May 2022 – contents include: • New programme targeting sprains and strains in tradespeople • New primary care pilot aims to improve concussion outcomes • Audiologists to lodge work related hearing loss claims • Guideline on funding x-rays for swallowed foreign bodies • New falls prevention initiative launching soon • Escalated Care Pathways showing positive benefits • Innovation Fund update • Registering interest for Maternal Birth Injury services Supporting appropriate prescribing of COVID 19 Therapeutics • Supporting prescribers: o On 13 May Pharmac published an Access Criteria assessment tool which greatly reduces the cognitive load of determining eligibility. The HealthPathways COVID 19 Case Management pathways now link directly to this (in the COVID 19 specific therapies dropbox).

• Supporting potentially eligible patients: Have sent proactive comms to/via the following: o All Disability Support Providers, NASCs (Needs Assessment Service Coordination Agencies), DIAS (Disability Information and Advisory services), DPOs (Disabled People's Organisations) o Care Coordination Hubs and manaaki providers o Interagency partners (MSD, ACC, and others) o Ministry for Ethnic Communities o NZDSA NZ Down’s Syndrome Association is also aware • In the process of organising comms to the following: o Immunocompromised individuals who have received a third primary dose (working with the CPIR people to identify these) – ongoing

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Māori and Pacific providers – we have passed on the comms to the Equity and Treaty responsiveness team and have a meeting tomorrow to discuss progress Aged care sector

These proactive comms are to raise awareness of the importance of a rapid clinical assessment for possible COVID19 therapeutics in the more vulnerable, high needs populations and their caregivers.

Please continue to provide feedback on how the process and access for using these therapeutics can be improved.

MMR vaccination temporary funding •

The Ministry of Health has released a letter regarding a temporary funding uplift to support MMR vaccination uptake

Webinar • Ministry of Health COVID-19 update webinar for primary care next Wednesday evening, 25th May • The Ministry of Health will be presenting an update on COVID-19 Care in the Community as part of a COVID-19 update for primary care next Wednesday evening, 25th May, from 7pm to 8:15pm

Health Budget – GPNZ press release • Minister of Health’s press release is here: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/securefuture-new-zealanders%E2%80%99-health • Appropriations information is here, with health from page 118: https://budget.govt.nz/budget/pdfs/summary-initiatives/b22-wellbeing-budget-soi.pdf