Pharmac to consult on access to gout medicine

Pharmac is seeking feedback on a proposal to widen access to the urate-lowering medicine, febuxostat, for gout sufferers.

Gout is a form of arthritis caused by a build-up of uric acid in the body. When uric acid levels become too high, urate crystals can form in and around the joints, leading to painful gout attacks that can cause sudden swelling, redness, and severe pain.

Febuxostat is a urate-lowering medicine that works by reducing the production of uric acid, helping to dissolve existing urate crystals and prevent new crystals from forming. Taking febuxostat can help prevent gout attacks and reduce the risk of long-term joint and kidney damage caused by ongoing crystal build-up.

Pharmac’s Director Pharmaceuticals, Geraldine MacGibbon, said that currently, people must trial two other medicines, allopurinol and probenecid, before becoming eligible for funded febuxostat.

This proposal would remove the requirement to trial probenecid, she said.