Benzodiazepines and zopiclone: is overuse still an issue?

Despite being recommended for short-term use only, and usually...

Withdrawing patients from long-term use of benzodiazepines or zopiclone

Stopping benzodiazepine or zopiclone treatment in people who...

Codeine: all formulations prescription-only

All combination codeine products will be reclassified as prescription-only...

Codeine reclassified as a prescription-only medicine: a community pharmacy perspective

The range of analgesics available over-the-counter (OTC) in...

Biosimilars: the future of prescribing biological medicines

Biological medicines are an important advancement in the pharmaceutical...

Community pharmacy guide on medicine safety in pregnancy

Community pharmacists are a key point of contact for women seeking...

Depression or distress? Examining SSRI prescribing in primary care

Differentiating short-term psychological distress from depression...

The nocebo effect: what is it, why is it important and how can it be reduced?

The nocebo effect describes adverse symptoms induced independently...

Prescribing report: A pharmacological profile of patients with type 2 diabetes

This report provides an overview of the clinical characteristics...

National report: A pharmacological profile of patients with type 2 diabetes

This report provides an overview of the clinical characteristics...

Understanding the role of insulin in the management of type 1 diabetes

Insulin treatment is an essential component of type 1 diabetes...

Dialling back treatment intensity for older people with type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes management in older people can be complex due...

HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP): a how-to guide

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis...

Managing constipation in older people

Constipation is common in older people due to factors such as...

Prescribing for a trial period: when and how?

When initiating or changing the dose of a medicine, simple changes...

Bisphosphonates: addressing the duration conundrum

Bisphosphonates accumulate within bone tissue where they help...

Stopping proton pump inhibitors in older people

Over one-third of people aged 65 years and older in New Zealand...

Stopping medicines in older people: the flip side of the prescribing equation

Older people are generally prescribed more medicines than younger...

Unintentional misuse of prescription medicines

There is a significant issue in the community with people taking...

NZF is changing the way that pregnancy and breast-feeding advice for medicines is presented

From 1 October, 2018, the New Zealand Formulary (NZF) will replace...

Avoiding the triple whammy in primary care: ACE inhibitor/ARB + diuretic + NSAID

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin-II...

Clozapine: safe prescribing

In 2014, bpacnz published an article on the safer prescribing...

Helping patients with epilepsy adhere to their medicines

People with epilepsy require good adherence to anti-epileptic...

The safe and effective use of dabigatran and warfarin in primary care

Patients taking oral anticoagulants require appropriate management...

Oxycodone prescribing: New Zealand solutions to a global problem

Inappropriate prescribing of opioids for non-cancer pain is...

Amiodarone brand-change and a reminder on patient monitoring

The funded brand of amiodarone has now changed, see: Antiarrhythmic...

Polypharmacy Update

This report provides prescribers with details about patients...

Alcohol misuse: how to help patients in primary care

This article has been superseded by: Assessment and management...

Use the New Zealand Formulary to access patient information leaflets

Patient information leaflets (PILs) are now available from the...

Oxycodone Update

This report provides an update on the use of oxycodone over...

Overuse of benzodiazepines: still an issue?

Piles of pills: Prescribing appropriate quantities of medicines

Improving the safety of community-based chemotherapy

Travel consultation essentials: for departures and arrivals

Travel consultation essentials: for departures and arrivals

Travel consultations involve assessing the risks that may occur...

Improving the safety of community-based chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is predominantly managed in secondary care, but...

An update on the use of nitrofurantoin in patients with renal impairment

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)...

Piles of pills: Prescribing appropriate quantities of medicines

Medicine wastage is a significant problem in New Zealand, with...

Overuse of benzodiazepines: still an issue?

Benzodiazepines may be considered as a short-term treatment...

The optimal management of patients with COPD - Part 2: Stepwise escalation of treatment

This article contains some information on the use of inhaled...

Polypharmacy

Polypharmacy is a marker of potential problematic prescribing....

Polypharmacy in primary care: Managing a clinical conundrum

Polypharmacy can be appropriate and beneficial for patients....

Identifying and managing addiction to opioids

The increased use of opioid analgesics in recent years, particularly...

Safer prescribing of high-risk medicines - Methotrexate: potentially fatal in overdose

Low-dose methotrexate is commonly used in the treatment of patients...

Safer prescribing of high-risk medicines: Colchicine – extremely toxic in overdose

Updated 2021Colchicine is a plant-based alkaloid, extracted...

News Updates

Does aspirin protect against cancer? More high-quality research...

Encouraging children to swallow tablets or capsules

Many health professionals will encounter children who are reluctant...

Investigating myalgia in patients taking statins

Muscle pain (myalgia) and weakness is experienced by up to 10%...

Oxycodone Update

Since 2011, bpacnz has produced a series of reports and articles...

Oxycodone: how did we get here and how do we fix it?

Following on from the interview with Dr Jeremy McMinn in the...

Safer prescribing of high-risk medicines: Clozapine

Pharmacological treatment is an integral part of the practice...

Proton pump inhibitors: When is enough, enough?

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are one of the most widely used...

Upfront: “A disaster in the making”: it’s time to take action against misuse of oxycodone

Dr Jeremy McMinn is a consultant psychiatrist and addiction...

Changes to the National Immunisation Schedule: rotavirus vaccine now added

This article has been archived. If you would like access...

Upfront: Azithromycin: use it wisely

Growing use of azithromycin in New Zealand means that we are...

Update on the Adverse Drug Reaction reporting tool

Reporting suspected adverse drug reactions enables the collection...

The year that was: Key messages from Best Practice Journal 2013

2013 began with publication of the 50th issue of Best Practice...

News Updates

This article has been archived. If you would like access...

The New Zealand Formulary for children

In November 2013, the New Zealand Formulary for Children (NZFC)...

News updates

Comparing results between different blood glucose meters | Beating...

Laboratory testing for isotretinoin

Oral isotretinoin is a highly effective treatment for severe...

Using the New Zealand Formulary

Guide for switching antidepressants

Using the New Zealand Formulary

Are you getting the most from the NZF? Resources for getting...

When and how to use a syringe driver in palliative care

Syringe drivers are often required to provide medicines for...

Polypharmacy in people aged over 75 years

This report focuses on continuous polypharmacy, which is the...

Managing medicines in older people

It is increasingly recognised that health care for older people...

Using the New Zealand Formulary

Locating product and funding information

New Zealand Formulary launches

New Zealand healthcare professionals now have their own medicines...

New Zealand Formulary – coming soon

About the NZF Governance The clinical editorial team

Diagnosing and managing asthma in children

New Zealand has one of the highest rates of childhood asthma...

Prescribing citalopram safely: an update

Evidence of adverse cardiac effects associated with citalopram...

Updated data sheet for dabigatran etexilate

The dabigatran data sheet was updated in early November 2011...

The use of dabigatran in general practice

Dabigatran (Pradaxa) is now available in New Zealand, fully...

News in brief: Varenicline: amendments to Special Authority funding

This article has been archived. If you would like access...

Use of INR for monitoring warfarin treatment

Regular measurement of INR levels is an essential component...

The warfarin dilemma

Evidence suggests that warfarin is under utilised in older people....

An update on statins

The decision to initiate a statin should be based upon an individual’s...

Avoiding medication errors in children

Medication errors may never be completely eliminated, but strategies...

A practical guide to stopping medicines in older people

The majority of older people who require drug therapy take multiple...

Upfront: When is enough enough? Stopping medicines in older people

In New Zealand, it is estimated that 30% of people aged over...

Prescribing issues associated with anticonvulsant medications for epilepsy

The goal of successful pharmacological treatment in epilepsy...

Practical considerations for therapeutic drug monitoring

Advice on therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), the measurement...

Pharmacological Management of Depression in Adults

All antidepressant drugs are approximately equal in effectiveness,...

Medicine Brand Changes

A short article on the perceptions of generics and brand c...

Counseling patients through a brand change

Health care professionals have an important role in helping...

Self Management Plans for asthma - obsolete or needing a fresh start?

The asthma & respiratory foundation of New Zealand has developed...

The use of insulin in type 2 diabetes

There is evidence that early use of insulin in people with type...

Drug monitoring - Monitoring diuretics in primary care

Monitoring a person on diuretics is necessary to assess response...

Correspondence: Dose titration for pain

WHO Analgesic Ladder: Methadone - safe and effective use for chronic pain

Methadone is a strong opioid that may be suitable for people...

Monitoring Response to Drug Treatment

Clinicians are frequently asked to monitor the effects of drug...

Medication-overuse headache: when the cure becomes the cause

Medication-overuse headache is a complex disorder best described...

Eltroxin (levothyroxine) formulation change

From July 2007, Glaxo Smith Kline has distributed a new formulation...

Why you should prescribe generically

Generic prescribing is cost effective, associated with less...

Ten minute tutorial

Adding a pop-up alert for patients on clozapine.

Self monitoring of blood glucose: An update

New evidence concludes that self monitoring of blood glucose...

Dilemmas: Principles of prescribing for elderly people

Several key principles should be considered when prescribing...

Dilemmas: Why is it difficult

Prescribing for elderly people is difficult because the risks...

Brand change update: Ritalin SR now available by special access

This article has been archived; for a copy of the original,...

10 minute audit: Identifying your patients on colchicine

Upfront: Changing to a Generic Drug

Visits the main points around changing to a generic drug from...

10 minute audit: omeprazole

This audit is designed to identify people in your practice on...

Changing to a Generic Drug

An explanation of the issues around the switching of patients...

Ten minute audit

Identifies patients on Lithium using MedTech

ADHD: The Primary Care role

The role of primary care clinicians in improving outcomes for...

10 minute audit

This audit is designed to identify people in your practice on...

Improving the care of children with asthma

Studies suggest that the majority of children with asthma do...

Polypharmacy at the Primary-Secondary interface

Polypharmacy due to multiple physician involvement in patient...

Ten minute audit

Identifies people under the age of 18 years on paroxetine to...

Introduction: BPJ Generics special edition

Generic drugs are reproductions of the original innovator medicine...