The opioids domain of the Atlas of Healthcare Variation gives an overview on the dispensing of opioids in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement classes opioids as one of four groups of medicines (along with anticoagulants, insulin and sedatives) that can cause harm to patients, even when used as intended.
| Name | Description | Data sources | Responsible organisation(s) | Measure methodology last updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People dispensed tramadol one or more times in a year | This indicator shows the number and rate per 1,000 of the PHO-enrolled population who had tramadol dispensed to them by a community pharmacy, by year (2019 to 2023), ethnic group, age group, gender. |
Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS), Primary Health Organisation (PHO) Enrolment Collection | Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora | November 2025 |
| People dispensed codeine one or more times in a year | This indicator shows the number and rate per 1,000 of the PHO-enrolled population who had dispensed codeine and dihydrocodeine to them by a community pharmacy, by year (2019 to 2023), ethnic group, age group, gender. |
Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS), Primary Health Organisation (PHO) Enrolment Collection | Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora | November 2025 |
| 3. People dispensed weak opioid medicines one or more times in a year, rate per 1,000 | This measure details the rate of people dispensed a weak opioid per 1,000 population. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement classes opioids as one of four groups of medicines (along with anticoagulants, insulin and sedatives) that can cause harm to patients, even when used as intended. As with strong opioids, continuous use of a weak opioid for six weeks or more raises questions on appropriateness of use. |
Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS), Primary Health Organisation (PHO) Enrolment Collection | Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora | November 2025 |
| People dispensed a strong opioid for six or more weeks, rate per 1,000 | This indicator shows the number and rate per 1,000 of the PHO-enrolled population who had a strong opioid dispensed to them by a community pharmacy over six weeks or more, between 2019 and 2023. |
Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS), Primary Health Organisation (PHO) Enrolment Collection | Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora | November 2025 |
| People dispensed a strong opioid medicine one or more times in a year | This indicator shows the number and rate per 1,000 of the PHO-enrolled population who had a strong opioid dispensed to them by a community pharmacy, by year (2019 to 2023), ethnic group, age group and gender. |
Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS), Primary Health Organisation (PHO) Enrolment Collection | Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora | November 2025 |
| People dispensed oxycodone for 6 weeks or more | This indicator shows the number and rate per 1,000 of the PHO-enrolled population who had who had oxycodone dispensed to them by a community pharmacy for six weeks or between 2019 and 2023. |
Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS), Primary Health Organisation (PHO) Enrolment Collection | Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora | November 2025 |
| People dispensed oxycodone one or more times in a year, rate per 1,000 | This indicator shows the number and rate per 1,000 of the PHO-enrolled population who had oxycodone dispensed to them by a community pharmacy, by year (2019 to 2023), ethnic group, age group, and gender. |
Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS), PHO Enrolment Collection | Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora | November 2025 |
| People dispensed morphine for 6 weeks or more, rate per 1,000 | This indicator shows the number and rate per 1,000 of the PHO-enrolled population who had morphine dispensed to them by a community pharmacy for six weeks or more, between 2019 and 2023. |
Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS), Primary Health Organisation (PHO) Enrolment Collection | Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora | November 2025 |
| People dispensed morphine one or more times in a year, rate per 1,000 | This indicator shows the number and rate per 1,000 of the PHO-enrolled population who had morphine dispensed to them by a community pharmacy, by year (2019 to 2023), ethnic group, age group, and gender. |
Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS), PHO Enrolment Collection | Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora | November 2025 |
| People dispensed a strong opioid who had a public hospital event in the 8 days prior to dispensing, rate per 1,000 | This indicator shows the number and rate per 1,000 of the PHO-enrolled population who had received a strong opioid and had a public hospital event in the eight days prior to dispensing of a strong opioid during the calendar year. Data is presented by year (2019 to 2023), ethnic group, age, gender and health district. |
National Minimum Dataset (NMDS), National Non-Admitted Patient Collection (NNPAC), Pharmaceutical Collection (PHARMS), PHO Enrolment Collection | Health Quality & Safety Commission | Te Tāhū Hauora | November 2025 |