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Four varieties of birth control pills are out of stock in New Zealand, including two brought in as alternatives to another drug.
Brevinor and Necon were stocked as alternatives for Norimin, when supplies ran out this year.
But now the supply of those alternatives is expected to be depleted in mid-October, and no more Norimin are expected until mid-February.
There is also a shortage of Brevinor-1, which is a different drug than Brevinor.
Pharmac says that around 9,000 women take Brevinor-1, while around 16,000 women take Norimin or its Brevinor or Necon replacements.
“Some pharmacies may still stock the temporary alternate brands Necon or Brevinor to replace Norimin for filling prescriptions, but this will be limited and unevenly distributed across the country,” said Acting Medical Director Dr. Ken Clark, to 1 NEWS in a statement today.
“We recognize and recognize that this situation will be disturbing for some people.”
Clark encourages affected people to talk with their doctor about other contraceptive options.
The manufacturer Pfizer says the shortage of its oral contraceptives is due to a delay in manufacturing, adding that the company is “committed to actively resolving this issue.”
“Pfizer advises patients who need to replenish their supply to discuss alternative contraceptive options with their healthcare professional,” said a spokesperson.
These oral contraceptives are the newest drugs facing supply problems due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
To ease the pressure on systems, most prescription drugs were limited to a one or three month supply at a time, rather than longer periods.
