September 25 Newsletter
Changes to Prescription Lengths – Early 2026
Current process:
At present, most prescriptions are limited to three months, requiring patients to return to their prescriber for repeat prescriptions.
From early 2026:
Prescribers will be able to issue prescriptions for up to 12 months where it is clinically safe and appropriate. Dispensing from pharmacies will continue in three-month intervals.
Read more...
What this means for patients:
- Your prescriber will consider your overall health, medical conditions, and current medicines when deciding if a 12-month prescription is right for you.
- This change is designed to prioritise your safety and wellbeing, ensuring your treatment remains safe and effective.
- Regular check-ups may still be recommended so that we can review your progress and make any necessary adjustments to your care.
- This change does not apply to controlled drugs.
- Medicines will still be dispensed in three-monthly supplies from the pharmacy.
- Prescription co-payments will remain unchanged — for most patients, this is $5.00 per medicine per prescription.
- There are no changes to eligibility for prescription fee exemptions or subsidy schemes.
For further information, please refer to the Ministry of Health:
Antibiotic use when there is a viral infection
Colds and flu can’t be fixed with antibiotics because they are a viral infection. Antibiotics only work on infections caused by bacteria. We need to use antibiotics carefully, or they will stop working.
Antibiotics are not needed for self-limiting illnesses. Using them can cause side effects of diarrhoea, rash and nausea. There can also be more serious side effects requiring hospital admission. Antibiotics disrupt the gut flora and cause resistance in the whole household.
The best treatment is plenty of rest, fluids and relief of your pain and symptoms.
Most sore throats do not need treatment, regardless of the cause. An exception to this is Māori and Pacific people who are at higher risk for Rheumatic Fever and should make an appointment to see a doctor if suffering from a sore throat.
Below is an interactive link that can help you decide if you need to see a doctor.
Covid
Do you need a booster? There are many benefits in keeping your Covid boosters current. Ring our nurses to see if your eligible to get a booster.
RSV vaccination available: Not funded.
The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination is available for people over the age of 60. Fees apply.
Adults Free Boostrix 45 and 65 years read more…
Certain adults are recommended to have a whooping cough booster at least every 10 years. This includes people who:
- work with young children and vulnerable people
- live with a newborn baby
- are at higher risk of severe illness from whooping cough, for example those with chronic respiratory disease.
Free tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough vaccine (Boostrix) are offered:
- for some people from 45 years old (if they have received fewer than 4 tetanus doses in their life-time), and
- for everyone from 65 years old (if it has been more than 10 years since previous dose of tetanus and diphtheria or tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine). If you have already had the previously funded tetanus and diphtheria vaccine from age 65, you are not eligible for a free Boostrix vaccine.
If you are not eligible for a free whooping cough booster, they can be purchased. Your vaccinator can give you advice on how often it is recommended you have a booster.
Shingles vaccine free to over 65 read more…
The shingles vaccine is recommended for anyone aged 50 and over. It is free for the 12 months after your 65th birthday. It is also free to some people aged 18 and older in some situation. There is a cost for the shingles vaccine outside this time. For further information please click on the link.
Price Increase
After careful assessment, we have needed to adjust the fee’s.
