This year is flying by, with key policy changes for community pharmacy implemented
in New Zealand and the opportunity to catch up with our Australian colleagues and
continue to learn from each other.
Extended prescriptions were introduced on February 1, and we are helping our members cope with the dayto-day practical realities of this change. All prescription medicines, except controlled drugs, are eligible and default to a maximum period of supply of 12 months.
This has resulted in issues for pharmacies, with some prescribing systems not yet updated to reflect the changes, or the conversion of data through national electronic systems resulting in prescription details not being visible to the pharmacy.
We are working with prescriber organisations and software vendors to ensure extended prescriptions are fit-for-purpose when they reach pharmacies, so pharmacists are not left to interpret prescribing intent.
Technical changes to pharmacy payment systems are also currently being processed to ensure the financial mitigation achieved by PGNZ is delivered — this will mean pharmacies are not financially disadvantaged when they dispense extended prescriptions.
ADHD medicines
From February 1, the rules for prescribing ADHD stimulant medicines changed, allowing specialist general practitioners and nurse practitioners working within their area of practice to initiate treatment for adults in certain circumstances.
These changes introduced new compliance and legal risks for community pharmacy and were introduced at the same time as extended prescriptions came into effect.
To support members, we have developed guidance outlining who can initiate treatment under the new rules, what must be checked on a prescription for newly initiated and continuation of treatment, and how to verify a prescriber’s registration and scope.
MediMap hack
MediMap, a national medication charting platform used by rest homes, hospices and other facilities was recently breached, and patient records were incorrectly modified.
Because of this, the platform was taken offline, and pharmacies had to use alternative processes to dispense medicines for patients in these facilities, such as using previous information from pharmacy dispensing software or paper records provided by the facility — creating a huge workload for pharmacies.
We created guidance for members on safe business continuity processes while MediMap was unavailable, including practical steps for medicine verification, reconciliation, and documentation, and have raised financial compensation given the additional workload.
This is a timely reminder to pharmacies of cyber security risks, especially given how closely this follows the breach of Manage My Health — a patient health information/record portal.
APP reflections
Attending events like APP is a great reminder of why we do what we do — we all share a common goal of improving health outcomes and supporting our communities.
It was great to hear about scope of practice developments in Australia, particularly pharmacist prescribing, and Ireland and across Europe — with our Irish colleagues attending and presenting on behalf of the Irish Pharmacy Union and the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union.
Most of Europe is experiencing the same workforce issues as New Zealand and significant medicines shortages, with huge amounts of time spent by pharmacists sourcing common medicines for patients, including antibiotics and insulin.
The opportunity to compare scope of practice developments in New Zealand with Australia and numerous European countries is always worthwhile. While we have led in some areas, namely pharmacists vaccinating, we are behind in others, such as
community pharmacists autonomously prescribing.
We do however offer many of the same services through other pathways, such as the ‘prescription except when’ classification or using standing orders.
PGNZ and PGA relationship
I, along with Glenn Mills and Victor Chong, had the pleasure of representing PGNZ at the PGA National Council meeting before APP. It is always great to learn from each other, share our top priorities, and further strengthen our relationship.
While our health systems and funding models are different, we share many similarities — most importantly, a commitment to community pharmacy. Both Guilds want to see pharmacies that are well-funded and enabled to provide more services and deliver better health outcomes for our patients.
Of key interest to our Australian colleagues was potential pharmacy ownership changes in New Zealand — a top priority for us and a key piece of work for 2026.
We thank PGA for their generosity in hosting us and look forward to continuing to work closely together.