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Reports

Revisiting antibiotic use in New Zealand:
how does your prescribing compare?

Antibiotics are indispensable tools for managing bacterial infections that are unlikely to self-resolve. However, excessive and... View Article

June 2024

Revisiting opioid use in New Zealand: how does your prescribing compare?

Opioids can be effective for relieving moderate to severe acute pain but carry a significant risk of harm with longer periods... View Article

October 2023

2020 Annual Report

Pharmaceutical Utilisation January, 2020 – December, 2020 View Article

September 2021

National report: Reviewing SABA treatment for asthma management in adolescents and adults

For more than 50 years, people with asthma have been prescribed a short-acting beta2-agonist (SABA) as the first-line treatment... View Article

August 2020

Prescribing report: Reviewing SABA treatment for asthma management in adolescents and adults

For more than 50 years, people with asthma have been prescribed a short-acting beta2-agonist (SABA) as the first-line treatment... View Article

August 2020

National report: Testing for prostate cancer in primary care

This report provides an overview of laboratory prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in primary care to facilitate reflection,... View Article

July 2020

National report: The use of antipsychotic medicines in older people

The purpose of this report is to provoke thought and discussion about how and why antipsychotic medicines are prescribed to older... View Article

May 2020

The 2019 Annual Report is now available

The bpacnz Annual Report provides individualised and practice data on pharmaceuticals dispensed in the community for any primary... View Article

April 2020

National report: Prescribing menopausal hormone therapy

Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is the most effective treatment for the vasomotor symptoms (i.e. hot flushes and night sweats)... View Article

December 2019

Depression or distress? Examining SSRI prescribing in primary care

Differentiating short-term psychological distress from depression can be difficult, particularly at the first consultation. Diagnostic... View Article

October 2019

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

This report provides an overview of the clinical characteristics of patients with type 2 diabetes* including sex, age, ethnicity... View Article

August 2019

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

This report provides an overview of the clinical characteristics of patients with type 2 diabetes* including sex, age, ethnicity... View Article

August 2019

Prescribing report: Proton pump inhibitor prescribing in primary care

This report provides prescribers with data about the patients they have prescribed for and in their practice who are taking PPIs*... View Article

March 2019

2018 Annual Prescribing Report

This report provides you with an opportunity to reflect on your prescribing of the most commonly dispensed medicines in primary... View Article

December 2018

Prescribing hypnotic medicines: a focus on zopiclone

Key practice points
• Zopiclone is the most frequently prescribed hypnotic medicine, and one of the highest prescribed medicines...
View Article

October 2018

Prescribing topical medicines for skin infection - An update

This report provides an update on the use and monitoring of topical antibiotics between January, 2016 and March, 2018 in primary... View Article

July 2018

Analgesic Update - 2018

Key messages
• Evaluate the type, cause and severity of a patient’s pain to determine which analgesics should be prescribed...
View Article

March 2018

2017 Annual Practice Report

This report provides you with an opportunity to reflect on the pharmacological treatment received by patients registered at your... View Article

December 2017

Report: Dabigatran Monitoring, An Update

This report provides an update on the use and monitoring of dabigatran between April, 2016 and March, 2017 in primary care in... View Article

September 2017

Report: Asthma medicines in adults

How does your prescribing compare to that of your peers? Consider the factors which contribute to your decision to escalate treatment... View Article

June 2017

Prescribing topical medicines for skin infection

Resistance to fusidic acid is increasing because this topical medicine is being overused in New Zealand. This prescribing snippet... View Article

February 2017

2016 Annual Practice Report

This report allows you to reflect on the pharmacological treatment received by patients registered at your practice in the past... View Article

November 2016

Vitamin D

This report provides data on the use of vitamin D supplementation over the 12 month period from July, 2015 to June, 2016. View Article

September 2016

Polypharmacy Update

This report provides prescribers with details about patients in their practice who are taking ten or more medicines over a 12... View Article

July 2016

Asthma in primary care

Updated asthma guidelines are expected to be released later in 2016. This report provides an update on the treatment of patients... View Article

June 2016

Medicine use in youth mental health

This report provides an overview of dispensings of medicines indicated for the treatment of depression and anxiety in patients... View Article

April 2016

Oxycodone Update

This report provides an update on the use of oxycodone over the 12 month period from October, 2014 – September, 2015. View Article

March 2016

2015 Annual Practice Report - Pharmaceutical Utilisation

This report has been developed to give you an opportunity to reflect on the pharmacological treatment received by patients registered... View Article

November 2015

Amoxicillin clavulanate Update Report 2015

Amoxicillin clavulanate is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is used frequently in New Zealand general practice. Although the... View Article

September 2015

Annual Diabetes Review

This report uses data from the pharmaceutical collection and laboratory claims collection to provide an update on diabetes monitoring... View Article

August 2015

Use of Hypnotics

Zopiclone and some benzodiazepines, such as temazepam and triazolam, are indicated for the short-term treatment of insomnia. View Article

May 2015

Dabigatran - An Update

This report provides an update on the use and monitoring of dabigatran between October, 2013 and September, 2014 in general practice... View Article

March 2015

2014 Annual Practice Report - Pharmaceutical and Laboratory Test Utilisation

This report has been developed to give you an opportunity to reflect on the treatment received by patients registered at your... View Article

December 2014

An update on bisphosphonates

This report provides an update on the use of bisphosphonates in New Zealand. In the past year changes to funding occurred, including... View Article

November 2014

Polypharmacy

Polypharmacy is a marker of potential problematic prescribing. In clinical practice, defining polypharmacy purely by a specific... View Article

November 2014

A review of statin use and monitoring

Statins are one of the most frequently prescribed medicines in New Zealand each year. Alongside lifestyle modifications, statins... View Article

October 2014

Oxycodone Update

Since 2011, bpacnz has produced a series of reports and articles on appropriate use of opioids and has urged prescribers to review... View Article

August 2014

Antenatal testing in pregnancy

This report discusses antenatal testing between January – December 2013, using the National Minimum Dataset (hospital events)... View Article

July 2014

The use of analgesics in children

This report discusses the use of analgesics for the treatment of pain in children between January – December 2013. View Article

May 2014

Measuring serum urate levels

Gout is a common form of inflammatory arthritis that is caused by an inflammatory response to monosodium urate (MSU) crystals,... View Article

April 2014

The use of omeprazole in infants is still high

Omeprazole is not approved for use in infants (children aged under one year). Although omeprazole is effective at reducing gastric... View Article

December 2013

Investigating iron deficiency anaemia

2013 UPDATE: Investigating iron deficiency anaemia View Article

December 2013

Long-term Use of Corticosteroids: Think about Bone Health

Bone density loss leading to osteoporosis is a risk for patients taking long-term corticosteroids. Bone health is important in... View Article

November 2013

2013 Annual Practice Report - Pharmaceutical and Laboratory Test Utilisation

This report has been developed to give you an opportunity to reflect on the treatment received by patients registered at your... View Article

November 2013

Cervical Screening – Are we reaching our targets?

There are approximately 180 new diagnoses of cervical cancer in New Zealand each year. Having regular cervical smears can reduce... View Article

October 2013

Appropriate use of amoxicillin clavulanate

Amoxicillin clavulanate is a broad spectrum antibiotic which is used frequently in New Zealand general practice. The proportion... View Article

August 2013

Laboratory testing for isotretinoin

Oral isotretinoin is a highly effective treatment for severe acne, however it is associated with a number of adverse effects,... View Article

June 2013

Dabigatran in general practice

Dabigatran is an oral anticoagulant approved for use in non-valvular atrial fibrillation and prevention of venous thromboembolism... View Article

March 2013

Which test should I use to diagnose type 2 diabetes?

This report presents how testing for diabetes has changed since the recommendations were published. Patients with diagnosed diabetes... View Article

December 2012

2012 Annual Report - Pharmaceutical & Laboratory Test Utilisation

Welcome to your annual practice report This report has been developed to give you an opportunity to reflect on the treatment received... View Article

November 2012

Laboratory investigation of infectious diarrhoea

This report discussus how testing behaviour in New Zealand has changed over the past five years and includes feedback on the testing... View Article

October 2012

Polypharmacy in people aged over 75 years

This report focuses on continuous polypharmacy, which is the chronic use of multiple medicines over a long period of time. View Article

October 2012

Reports have changed

Copy of the letter announcing the changes made to prescribing and laboratory testing data reports. View Article

September 2012

Monitoring diabetes in people over 75

In the March 2012 issue of Best Tests, bpacnz published an article discussing testing for CVD, diabetes and renal disease in elderly... View Article

July 2012

Oxycodone update

In June 2011, bpacnz produced a report on oxycodone dispensing which urged prescribers to review their use of oxycodone. Oxycodone... View Article

May 2012

Prescribing for children with asthma

New Zealand has one of the highest rates of childhood asthma in the world. It is the leading cause of sleep disturbance, missed... View Article

April 2012

Looking back, looking forward: key messages 2005 – 2011

This report highlights four key prescribing and laboratory testing recommendations covered over the past five years. Over this... View Article

March 2012