We’re reducing pressure on GP clinics

• By Prime Minister Christopher Luxon

Getting a GP appointment can be difficult – especially for busy parents needing timely care for their children.

While wait times can be frustrating, there’s good news on the horizon. Our Government’s changes to expand the role of community pharmacists is a practical and welcome step towards making healthcare more accessible. From June, parents will be able to get faster, more affordable treatment for common childhood conditions at their local pharmacy.

Participating pharmacists will be able to assess symptoms, provide consultations, and supply publicly-funded medicines for issues like pain and fever, oral rehydration, head lice, scabies, and conjunctivitis, helping more families get access to quality and timely healthcare, when and where they need it.

At the moment, families often face a frustrating choice – pay full over the counter prices or try to secure a GP appointment just to access subsidised treatment.

These changes offer a third option, one that recognises pharmacists as the highly trained health professionals they are and makes better use of healthcare services that already exist in our communities.

Pharmacies are among the most accessible health services in many neighbourhoods.
By expanding their role, we can improve local availability of funded treatment, reduce pressure on GP clinics, and make it easier for families to get timely care when appointments aren’t immediately available.

To support the delivery of these services nationwide, Health New Zealand has established a $5 million per year Extended Pharmacy Services Fund, and Pharmac will update the Pharmaceutical Schedule to support direct provision of funded medicines under existing pharmacy agreements.

This is a practical approach focused on access, affordability, and convenience. Our Government’s approach is to ensure Kiwis can get the right care, at the right time, close to home, making the health system work better for families who rely on it every day.