The permanent roll-out of Extended Pharmacy Services acknowledges the vital role of community pharmacy, with community pharmacists funded to provide clinical assessments, advice and medicines for children and their families, to treat common health conditions.
The initial seven services include pain and fever management, oral rehydration, scabies, head lice, and conjunctivitis, along with treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections and emergency contraception.
These services utilise ongoing funding secured by the Guild in 2025 for nationally consistent pharmacy services, after we worked outside of NAAR with senior HNZ officials to secure improvements to the ICPSA to better position community pharmacy for the future. Following this, we have worked as a member of the Extended Pharmacy Services Working Group to develop the funding arrangements and service specifications.
Unlike the minor ailments pilot in 2023, services are nationally available and consistent, with voluntary participation by pharmacies. Service funding is through the ICPSA, with medicine funding via Pharmac.
We have long advocated that community pharmacies are the ideal access point for common health conditions treatment and other services that take pressure off general practice and hospitals – and should be appropriately funded to do this.
With so many patients struggling to access timely general practice appointments, pharmacies are well placed to support people who would otherwise miss out or end up in the emergency department.
We know that pharmacists are highly trained health professionals and are already providing assessment, treatment and advice for these and many more common health conditions. We are very excited to see this role acknowledged and supported with government funding, and signals from our political engagement suggests this is the beginning of more to come.
Funding these services will reduce barriers to treatment, particularly in rural and remote areas, help improve equity of access and lower out-of-pocket costs for New Zealanders.