Category: Ministry of Health

DataPharm is a web-based tool (beta version) that displays summary data about prescriptions and dispensings that were dispensed in the community and funded by the New Zealand Government. The data presented is sourced from the Ministry of Health’s Pharmaceutical Collection.

You can search the data and filter by year of dispensing, medicine (at chemical formulation, chemical, therapeutic group level and therapeutic group level 2), and DHB area where the prescription was filled. You can download the filtered results in .csv format.

• DataPharm (beta)

A technical document is available to accompany the web tool. The document contains information about key data limitations and guidance on interpreting the data presented as clinical context, funding, practice and a number of other contextual properties can affect the trends you see.

• DataPharm: technical document (Word, 192 KB)

The aggregate data presented in DataPharm is available for you to download as a zip package of .csv files.

• DataPharm: full data set (Zip, 4.7 MB)

We welcome your feedback on this tool. You can access the feedback form here:

• DataPharm (beta) feedback form

The New Model for Supporting Disabled People is about people having more choice, control and flexibility over they supports they receive and the lives they lead. This includes how they use their funding and the disability supports they buy with it. Under the New Model people can be allocated an amount of funding and make decisions about how to use it.

The Ministry of Health has purchasing guidelines which outline how people can use their funding. These include:

1. Money needs to be spent on disability supports ( things that a disabled person needs because they have a disability).
2. Disability supports contribute to an outcome in the person’s plan for a good life.
3. The disability supports are within the scope of relevant Ministry of Health policies and responsibilities.

Needs Assesment and Service Coordination (NASC) organisations, Enhanced Individualised Funding (EIF) hosts, and Choice in Community Living providers can assist in interpreting these guidelines. The Ministry will also provide support if needed though a Purchasing Guidelines panel that includes disabled people and family members.

Summary

Nurse practitioners are highly skilled health practitioners who can provide a wide range of assessment and treatment interventions. Their broad scope of practice enables them to safely and appropriately meet changing health needs.

In 2017 the Ministry of Health commissioned Malatest International to undertake an independent evaluation of the pilot nurse practitioner training programme being provided at The University of Auckland and Massey University. The programme was designed to provide a more coordinated and strategic approach to nurse practitioner education, registration and employment.

Overall the evaluation report is positive. Most students completed the course in the time required and achieved registration within three months of completion.

The programmes are very popular (2 + applications for every available place) and programme graduates have expressed high levels of satisfaction with the scheme and have been successful in moving into employment as a nurse practitioner.

Feedback on nurse practitioner training and development

Based on the report’s findings and help develop the nurse practitioner role in New Zealand, Health Workforce New Zealand and the Office of the Chief Nurse welcomes feedback from the nursing profession, employers, training providers and other stakeholders. Feedback will be received at info@healthworkforce.govt.nz until Friday, 27 April 2018.

• Feedback on nurse practitioner training and development

The Immunisation Handbook 2017 (the Handbook) provides clinical guidelines for health professionals on the safest and most effective use of vaccines in their practice. These guidelines are based on the best scientific evidence available at the time of publication, from published and unpublished literature.

Read the handbook

To read the Immunisation Handbook you can:

• view the Immunisation Handbook online
• download a PDF of the Immunisation Handbook (PDF, 5.1 MB)
• download an ebook version of the Immunisation Handbook (epub, 1.8 MB)
• download individual chapters of the Immunisation Handbook below.

Refer to the Pharmaceutical Schedule (on the Pharmac website) for the number of funded doses, eligibility criteria and any subsequent changes to the funding decisions.

Immunisation Handbook 2017 (2nd edition) – March 2018

The electronic Handbook has been updated, and a new edition published: Immunisation Handbook 2017 (2nd edition).

Major changes, in chapter order, are:

• Chapter 4 Immunisation of Special Groups: updated to include the herpes zoster vaccine funding from 1 April 2018, and new information about immune checkpoint inhibitors
• Chapter 8 Hepatitis B – includes information about the temporary brand change of the single antigen hepatitis B vaccine (from HBvaxPRO to Engerix-B)
• Chapter 10 Influenza – includes the change from trivalent to quadrivalent influenza vaccine (Fluarix Tetra and Influvac Tetra) and new information about immune checkpoint inhibitors
• Chapter 13 Mumps – updated to align with the latest version of the ‘Mumps’ chapter of the Communicable Disease Control Manual 2012
• Chapter 14 Pertussis – updated to align with the latest version of the ‘Pertussis’ chapter of the Communicable Disease Control Manual 2012
• Chapter 22 Zoster – updated to reflect the herpes zoster vaccine funding from 1 April 2018.

Detailed changes are described in Changes to the Immunisation Handbook 2017 (2nd edition) (PDF, 459 KB).

Individual chapters

• Introduction (PDF, 607 KB)
• 1. General immunisation principles (PDF, 224 KB)
• 2. Processes for safe immunisation (PDF, 625 MB)
• 3. Vaccination questions and addressing concerns (PDF, 160 KB)
• 4. Immunisation of special groups (PDF, 443 MB)
• 5. Diphtheria (PDF, 233 KB)
• 6. Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease (PDF, 180 KB)
• 7. Hepatitis A (PDF, 173 KB)
• 8. Hepatitis B (PDF, 415 KB)
• 9. Human papillomavirus (HPV) (PDF, 301 KB)
• 10. Influenza (PDF, 372 KB)
• 11. Measles (PDF, 233 KB)
• 12. Meningococcal disease (PDF, 291 KB)
• 13. Mumps (PDF, 142 KB)
• 14. Pertussis (whooping cough) (PDF, 341 KB)
• 15. Pneumococcal disease (PDF, 402 KB)
• 16. Poliomyelitis (PDF, 122 KB)
• 17. Rotavirus (PDF, 216 KB)
• 18. Rubella (PDF, 166 KB)
• 19. Tetanus (PDF, 188 KB)
• 20. Tuberculosis (PDF, 207 KB)
• 21. Varicella (chickenpox) (PDF, 282 KB)
• 22. Zoster (herpes zoster/shingles) (PDF, 231 KB)
• Appendix 1: The history of immunisation in New Zealand (PDF, 235 KB)
• Appendix 2: Planning immunisation catch-ups (PDF, 152 KB)
• Appendix 3: Immunisation standards for vaccinators and guidelines for organisations offering immunisation services (PDF, 137 KB)
• Appendix 4: Authorisation of vaccinators and criteria for pharmacist vaccinators (PDF, 184 KB)
• Appendix 5: Immunisation certificate (PDF, 64 KB)
• Appendix 6: Passive immunisation (PDF, 152 KB)
• Appendix 7: Vaccine presentation, preparation, disposal, and needle-stick recommendations (PDF, 89 KB)
• Appendix 8: High-incidence TB countries (PDF, 120 KB)
• Appendix 9: Websites (PDF, 114 KB)
• Funded vaccines for special groups (PDF, 52 KB)
• Anaphylaxis (PDF, 52 KB)
• National Immunisation Schedule (PDF, 20 KB)