10 December 2021
Micky Turner
Via email: [FYI request #17158 email]
Dear Micky
Request for information: Early treatment options for COVID-19
Thank you for your request dated 13 November 2021 under the Official Information Act 1982
(OIA) for information relating to early treatment options for COVID-19. You wrote:
Can you please advise if you have organized the supply of and are offering people
with Covid-19 any of the following:
Fluvoxamine 89%
Budesonide 81%
Vitamin D 81%
Vitamin A 79%
Quercetin 79%
Melatonin 78%
Zinc 74%
Povidone-Iodine 71%
Sotrovimab 67%
Ivermectin 67%
Vitamin C 43%
Aspirin 21%
I have included their early treatment efficacy % beside each one. This information can
be found at c19early.com
The Ministry of Health should also have enough Budesonide and inhalers for 100,000
people.
We have not explicitly organised supply of the medicines you have listed for the treatment of
COVID-19; however, we intend to seek clinical advice from our
COVID-19 Therapeutics
Advisory Group about fluvoxamine in early 2022. We have also confirmed with the supplier of
budesonide inhalers that it would be able to meet increased demand that may result from
additional use for people with COVID-19.
Medicines
listed on the Pharmaceutical Schedule without restriction (open listed) can be
prescribed for the treatment of any condition, including COVID-19, where a prescriber feels it
is appropriate. However, patients may need to pay for the cost of the medicine if it is not
listed on the Pharmaceutical Schedule for their condition.
2021-22-061; A1546175
Pharmac has secured supplies of medicines specifically for the treatment of COVID-19.
Information about these medicines and Pharmac's response to COVID-19 is being updated
regularly on our website.
We trust that this information answers your queries. We are making our information more
freely available, so we now publish selected OIA responses (excluding personal details) on
our website. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions about this.
Yours sincerely
Rachel Read
Manager, Policy and Government Services
2021-22-061; A1546175
qA60611
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