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Naltrexone in New Zealand

Naltrexone 50 mg tablets are funded for alcohol dependence when Special Authority SA1408 criteria are met. The funded brand changes to Naltrexone Lupin from 1 November 2026. A pharmacy charge or GP fee can still apply.

  • Updated

Pharmac’s November 2026 brand-change notice

Pharmac funds naltrexone 50 mg tablets subject to Special Authority SA1408. Its notice, last updated 12 October 2026, explains a brand change in three steps:

  • Until 1 November 2026: you may be dispensed Naltraccord (pale yellow tablets) or Naltrexone-GH. Pharmac funded Naltrexone-GH from 1 September 2026 because Naltraccord supplies may run out.
  • From 1 November 2026: Naltrexone Lupin becomes the funded brand. Its tablets are identical to Naltrexone-GH (beige, film-coated, scored); only the packaging differs.
  • 1 April 2027: Naltraccord and Naltrexone-GH are delisted.

All three contain the same 50 mg of naltrexone. Naltrexone-GH is supplied under Section 29A of the Medicines Act as a medicine not reviewed by Medsafe; it is used in Australia, and your prescriber should discuss it before prescribing. The extended-release injection is not on the funded list.

What ‘fully subsidised’ leaves out

The subsidy covers the medicine, not every cost around assessment, dispensing, and follow-up. SA1408 approvals are also limited: the October 2026 Schedule grants an initial approval for 6 months when the patient is enrolled in a recognised comprehensive treatment programme for alcohol dependence and the applicant works in or with a community Alcohol and Drug Service contracted to Health NZ or accredited against the sector standards. Renewals, also for 6 months, need adherence and a continuing need for treatment. A prescriber should confirm the current criteria because they can change. Health New Zealand states that the standard pharmacy charge is $5 per approved medicine, with exemptions including people aged 13 or under, Community Services Card holders and dependants, and people aged 65 or over. General practices set their own consultation fees.

A person follows a Special Authority pathway from assessment to pharmacy

How to access naltrexone in New Zealand

The Special Authority pathway step by step.

  1. See a clinician. Discuss alcohol or opioid use, recent opioid exposure, health history, treatment goals, and whether referral to a community Alcohol and Drug Service is appropriate.
  2. Check SA1408 eligibility. Funding currently requires a comprehensive alcohol-dependence treatment programme and an applicant working in or with a community Alcohol and Drug Service. The prescriber submits the SA1408 form; clinical assessment and monitoring are separate from funding approval.
  3. Confirm all charges. Ask the pharmacy whether the standard $5 charge or an exemption applies, and ask the general practice about its consultation fee.
A patient moves from clinical assessment through an eligibility check to pharmacy supply

Naltrexone costs in New Zealand

Funding, dispensing, and consultation are separate parts of the pathway.

  • Naltrexone 50 mg tablets: Funded. Full subsidy when Special Authority SA1408 criteria are met.
  • Standard pharmacy charge: $5. Per approved medicine unless an exemption applies.
  • GP consultation: Varies. General practices set their own fees.
  • Funded brands: changing. Naltraccord or Naltrexone-GH until 1 November 2026, then Naltrexone Lupin.

Health-service regions are broad and do not always match the city name used in a directory. Start with the region, then search the nearest city or ask a GP for the current local service.

  • Northern Region. Cities and centres: Auckland, Manukau, Waitākere, North Shore, and Whangārei. Search for Community Alcohol and Drug Services or a local mental health and addiction service.
  • Te Manawa Taki / Midland. Cities and centres: Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, Gisborne, and New Plymouth. Ask Health New Zealand which community addiction team covers your address.
  • Central Region. Cities and centres: Wellington, Lower Hutt, Porirua, Palmerston North, Whanganui, Masterton, Napier, and Hastings. Service names and referral routes differ across districts.
  • Te Waipounamu / South Island. Cities and centres: Christchurch, Dunedin, Nelson, Invercargill, and Greymouth. Search the city together with ‘alcohol and drug service’ or use Health New Zealand’s service finder.

New Zealand-specific questions

What does Special Authority SA1408 do?

It controls access to the Pharmac subsidy for naltrexone tablets. In the October 2026 Schedule it covers people in a comprehensive alcohol-dependence treatment programme, applied for by someone working in or with a community Alcohol and Drug Service, with approvals lasting 6 months. Criteria can change, so the prescriber checks the current Schedule.

Does fully subsidised mean no charge?

Not always. Health New Zealand states a standard $5 pharmacy charge per approved medicine unless an exemption applies. Consultation fees are separate and general practices set their own charges.

Why do my tablets look different?

The funded brand is changing. Naltraccord tablets are pale yellow; Naltrexone-GH and Naltrexone Lupin tablets are beige and identical to each other. All contain 50 mg of naltrexone. Ask the pharmacist if you are unsure which brand you were given.

Is targeted naltrexone funded?

Do not assume that product funding automatically covers every off-label dosing approach. The prescriber should check whether the proposed plan satisfies the current SA1408 criteria.

Is extended-release injectable naltrexone routinely available?

Pharmac funds 50 mg tablets, not the extended-release injection (Vivitrol). A specialist and pharmacy would need to verify any injectable access route.

Bring the Special Authority question to a local service

Ask whether you meet the current SA1408 criteria, who submits the application, and which consultation or dispensing charges may remain.

Find a Health New Zealand serviceRead the funding walkthrough

Sources

Checked .

  1. Naltrexone tab 50 mg: Your brand is changing — Pharmac, last updated 12 October 2026. Naltrexone-GH funded from 1 September 2026; Naltrexone Lupin funded from 1 November 2026; Naltraccord and Naltrexone-GH delisted 1 April 2027.
  2. Pharmaceutical Schedule, October 2026 (PDF) — Pharmac. Naltrexone hydrochloride tab 50 mg (Naltraccord, Naltrexone-GH) and the SA1408 criteria.
  3. Live Schedule search for naltrexone — Pharmac. Check here for the listing after 1 November 2026.
  4. Special Authority SA1408 application form (PDF) — Pharmac
  5. Health New Zealand prescription charges. Standard charge and exemptions.
  6. Health New Zealand general practices. GP fees vary.
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