August 21, 2019
Medication to door on Ngāti Whātua plan
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei members who subscribe to an iwi health insurance programme will now get their prescriptions delivered to their door with no charge.
Ngāti Whātua Whai Rawa project manager Anahera Rawiri says it removes a potential barrier to health.
Māori are less likely to fill a prescription for medicine, and more likely to forget to take their medication than non-Māori, which can contribute to poor health outcomes.
Pharmacist Din Redzepagic from project partner Zoom Pharmacy says recent research found four in ten Māori say they received a prescription from a doctor which they didn't have filled at a chemist, with cost and convenience the most common reasons.
Three quarters of the Māori surveyed said they had forgotten to take their prescription medication at some stage – compared with a non-Māori rate of 58 percent.
Zoom pharmacists will help monitor whether patients are taking their medicine to plan, and will offer professional care and advice if they identify any issues.
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