Antibiotics secured for influenza pandemic

26 June 2006

Supplies of antibiotics secured for influenza pandemic

New Zealanders will have access to a secure supply of antibiotics for use during an influenza pandemic.

PHARMAC has reached agreements with five companies; GlaxoSmithKline, Douglas Pharmaceuticals, AFT, Pacific and Multichem for a range of antibiotics for use during an influenza pandemic. PHARMAC undertook the job of securing pandemic supply of antibiotics as part of the Ministry of Health’s pandemic preparedness work.

PHARMAC’s Medical Director Dr Peter Moodie says the project has been completed in good time and the antibiotics should be available by the end of this year.

“This allows time for the companies involved to manufacture and distribute the antibiotics,” Dr Moodie says. “The antibiotics will be reserved for use in the event of a pandemic.”

“While antibiotics don’t offer protection against influenza viruses, in the past there has been a significant amount of illness through secondary bacterial infections and this is how we anticipate these supplies being used.”
Purchasing the additional antibiotics will cost District Health Boards $4.6 million. Antibiotics will be distributed to DHB hospitals based on the proportion of the population in that DHB.

Dr Moodie says DHB hospitals have agreed to manage rotation of the stocks in order to minimise stock expiry. PHARMAC will also be monitoring stock levels and expiry dates, and running further purchasing programmes to maintain the levels of stock as needed

“DHB hospitals will rotate the stock with the normal flow of antibiotic supplies. In this way as little stock as possible should expire,” Dr Moodie says.

“DHB hospitals are best placed to undertake this work, and having stock held in the hospitals will ensure that communities throughout New Zealand will have rapid access to additional antibiotics stocks should a pandemic occur.”
Details on the antibiotics purchased and stock levels follow.

Antibiotics for pandemic supply

Suppliers and quantities
Chemical and Strength Units Pack Size / Price Brand / Supplier
Amoxycillin 250 mg with potassium clavulanate 62.5 mg per 5 ml oral liquid Minimum 152,100 x 100 ml bottles 1 x 100 mL Bottle
$5.00 Synermox
Douglas Pharmaceuticals
Amoxycillin 500 mg with potassium clavulanate 125 mg tablet 7,098,000 Tabs 1 x 20 Tab Blister Pack
$6.40 Augmentin
GlaxoSmithKline
Amoxycillin 1 g with potassium clavulanate 200 mg vial 170,500 vials 10 x 1.2 g Vial
$23.94 Augmentin
GlaxoSmithKline
Cephazolin Sodium 1g vial 85,250 vials 10 x 1 g Vial
$27.00 m-cefazolin
Multichem NZ Limited
Co-Trimoxazole trimethoprim 40 mg with sulphamethoxazole 200 mg per 5 ml oral liquid 25,350 x 100 ml bottles 1 x 100 mL Bottle
$2.55 Trisul Suspension
Pacific Pharmaceuticals
Co-Trimoxazole trimethoprim 80 mg with sulphamethoxazole 400 mg tablet 1,656,500 Tabs 1 x 500 Tab Bottle
$23.50 Trisul
Pacific Pharmaceuticals
Doxycycline Hydrochloride 100 mg tablet 1,183,000 Tabs 1 x 250 Tab Bottle
$11.00 Doxine
Pacific Pharmaceuticals
Flucloxacillin Sodium 250 mg per 5 ml oral liquid 50,700 x 100 ml bottles 1 x 100 mL Bottle
$2.60 Flucloxacillin-AFT
AFT Pharmaceuticals
Flucloxacillin Sodium 500 mg capsule Minimum 2,366,000 Caps 1 x 250 cap Securitainer
$36.10 Flucloxacillin-AFT
AFT Pharmaceuticals
Flucloxacillin Sodium 1 g vial 85,250 vials 5 x 1 g Vial
$7.24 Flucloxin
Douglas Pharmaceuticals

ENDS

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