Prescriptions over summer

Over the Christmas break, many GP clinics and health providers have reduced opening hours. If you or a family member have regular prescription medicine, it is important to make sure you have enough for while clinics and pharmacies are closed or while you are away.

Get in touch with your regular GP or nurse as soon as possible if you need more of your regular medication.

You can also speak to your local pharmacist if you have questions about your medicine.

It is helpful to check if older family members need support arranging their prescriptions.

Preparing to travel

If you are travelling this summer, make sure you have your health needs covered before you go.

During the summer holidays, the number of people in many rural areas and popular holiday spots increases a lot, so it is best to take what you need with you. It is a good idea to pack:

  • regular medication and prescriptions
  • plenty of sunblock
  • a first aid kit
  • a thermometer
  • pain relief such as paracetamol or ibuprofen
  • RATs
  • masks
  • hand sanitiser
  • insect repellent.

Travelling overseas

If you are travelling overseas, it is a good idea to find out how you can help keep yourself, and your whānau healthy when you are away.

Find out about immunisations to get before you travel, and how to reduce your risk of potential illness.

Keeping healthy when travelling (internal link)

Possible prescription costs

There may be some costs for prescriptions and other medicines.

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People need to pay the standard $5 prescription charge, with exemptions for people:

  • aged 13 years or under
  • holding a Community Services Card (CSC) holder, or a dependent child of a CSC holder
  • aged 65 years or over
  • holding a Prescription Subsidy Card (PSC).

This applies to every medicine on new prescriptions. It does not apply to repeat supplies on the same prescription. 

Prescriptions from specialists and non-publicly funded prescribers will still attract:

  • $15 co-payment for adults 18 years and older
  • $10 co-payment for people aged 14 to 17 years old. 

This is reduced to $5 with a High Use Health Card, or an oral contraceptive prescribed by a private specialist. It will be free if a person holds a Community Services Card.

All prescriptions with either a $15, $10 or $5 co-payment will count towards the 20 prescription items a patient or family collect in a year. Once a person or family reach 20 paid prescription co-payments in a year, they can get a Prescription Subsidy Card. This means they will not have to pay any more prescription charges until the next 1 February. 

Pharmacies may charge for extra services such as medicine delivery or packaging. There may be an additional cost if a prescribed medicine is not fully subsidised. Fees for medicines that are not fully funded by Pharmac remain the same.

For more information talk to your general practice or pharmacist.

The subsidy is aimed at reducing costs for families and people who are prescribed a lot of medicines.

You become eligible for the subsidy once you have paid for 20 prescription items from 1 February each year. Once you are eligible, you do not have to pay any more prescription charges for the rest of that year (to 31 January).

You can reach the 20-item threshold by combining prescription items for your partner and dependent tamariki aged from 14 up to 18.

Just tell your regular pharmacist the names of all the people in your whānau to help them keep track of how many items you have paid for.

This information is gathered electronically so you no longer need to keep your receipts.

As there is no prescription charge on items for tamariki aged 13 and under, these items cannot be counted as part of the 20-item threshold.

Qualifying for a prescription subsidy

Talk to your pharmacist and make sure they know the names and ages of all the people in your whānau.

Your pharmacist will check the electronic records to see how many prescriptions you and any eligible whānau members have paid for since 1 February. If the total is 20 or more, you will qualify for a prescription subsidy.

 Any pharmacy can check your eligibility.

As not all medicines are funded, discuss any questions you have about prescription charges with your pharmacist.