Prescriber Updates

These prescriber updates provide primary care clinicians with clinical resources, overviews of upcoming new medicines, updates to clinical practice or guidelines and alerts. 

Upcoming HbA1c changes | June 2026

From the 1st of July 2026, HbA1c diagnostic thresholds for diabetes and prediabetes are changing. This aligns with international best practice and supports earlier diagnosis and intervention.

Updated HbA1c thresholds

  • Normal: < 42 mmol/mol

  • Prediabetes: 42 – 47 mmol/mol

  • Diabetes: ≥ 48 mmol/mol

Confirmatory testing

·         Required as soon as practical if HbA1c 48 – 52 mmol/mol.

·         Not required if:

o   HbA1c ≥ 53 mmol/mol,

o   2 or more HbA1c results ≥ 48 mmol/mol in the past 12 months, or

o   Glucose diagnostic criteria are met.

Key points

  • Review of affected patients can occur as part of routine care unless earlier assessment is clinically indicated.

  • Recommended management of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes remains the same.

  • No change to the glucose diagnostic criteria for diabetes.

  • For newly diagnosed diabetics, first retinal screening may be deferred for 3 years if evidence of recent onset (e.g. HbA1c < 48 mmol/mol in the past 12 months), unless clinically indicated.

Thalamus diabetes dashboard

Updated to support proactive identification of affected patients:

  • Uncoded diabetics: patients meeting new diagnostic criteria without a diabetes code.

  • Unconfirmed diabetics: patients requiring a confirmatory HbA1c test.

The dashboard can also be used to identify patients overdue for their diabetic annual review (DAR), foot checks, or HbA1c test.

Diabetes Dashboard


Lifestyle changes remain essential for diabetes management

Support to offer patients include:

  • Health coaches

  • Health improvement practitioners (HIPs)

  • Dietitians

  •  Green Prescription

  • WellSouth programmes:

o   Take control of your diabetes

o   Walking away (prediabetes)

Further Information

Laboratory reporting, HealthPathways and NZ Society for the Study of Diabetes (NZSSD) guidance will be updated to reflect these changes.

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Medicine Supply Issues | May 2026

Medicine supply disruptions are an ongoing global challenge, with availability changing frequently. Staying up to date can be difficult.

PHARMAC maintains a regularly updated Medicine Notices webpage outlining current supply issues, discontinuations and brand changes. We recommend bookmarking this page for quick access.

You can also subscribe to PHARMAC’s email updates for health care professionals to receive regular information about consultations, notifications, and supply issues.

Other considerations

Recent updates to the Medicines Act 1981 provide additional flexibility during shortages. Under Section 29A, any authorised prescriber may prescribe an unapproved medicine that is funded by PHARMAC as an alternative to an approved medicine in short supply.

Stock availability may vary between pharmacies. Liaising with local pharmacists can help identify suitable alternatives and provide up-to-date information on availability.  

For specific concerns about medicine supply issues, enquiries can be directed to PHARMAC.

Clinical or drug information enquiries can be directed to our WellSouth Pharmacists.