Pharmacies are everywhere in New Zealand, providing an easy to access source of medicines, skincare, beauty products and professional health advice. In this guide, we will cover the general aspects of pharmacies in New Zealand and how to navigate each part of the store. We will go over basic details so you can confidently go into a pharmacy with a prescription and get your medicines.

Pharmacies can either operate as an independent pharmacy or as part of larger corporate chains such as Unichem, Life Pharmacy, Chemist Warehouse and more. No matter which pharmacy you decide to go to, there will always be a qualified pharmacist present to provide professional health advice. Pharmacies can also provide a wide range of other services including the emergency contraceptive pill, oral contraceptive, urinary tract infection treatment, blood pressure check, ear piercing, smoking cessation, passport photos, and vaccinations. We will cover these additional services in the future.

Pharmacy Layout

Pharmacies in New Zealand all have different layouts, however there are similarities between most of them. All pharmacies will usually have the following areas within the store:

• Beauty – Skincare, makeup, beauty products, nail products, fragrances.
• Store – Gifts, toys, tools.
• Natural health – Supplements, weight loss aids, protein powders.
• Over the counter medicines – Pain killers, allergy medicines, cough syrups, sore throat remedies, laxatives, diarrhea medicines.
• First aid – Dressings, bandages, plasters, tapes, wound treatment sprays or creams.
• Dispensary – Usually set at the back of the pharmacy, this is where you bring in prescriptions, ask the pharmacists for advice, or pick up medicines.

How do I get a prescription?

When you have a medical issue, you will usually go to local doctors, the emergency after-hours clinic or the hospital. These medical professionals will assess your condition and if necessary, may prescribe you medications to treat your condition. They will either give you the prescription as a paper form, or more commonly these days, email or fax it directly to the pharmacy of your choice.

What do I do with my prescriptions?

Paper copy – If you have been given a paper copy of your prescription, you will have to bring it into the dispensary, usually located at the back of the pharmacy. Hand in your prescription to the dispensary staff and they will be able to advise you on how long it will take to prepare your medications. You might be asked some questions regarding your medical history in order to ensure the prescription is appropriate for you.

Emailed or faxed copy – If the doctor has emailed or faxed it, you should be able to head to the dispensary and ask for your medication. The dispensary staff will have to confirm your identity with your details then they will be able to inform you on the status of your prescription. It is always a good idea to call the pharmacy in advance to ensure your prescription has arrived.

These prescriptions will contain important information including your name, the medication’s name, strength, dosing frequency, and the period/quantity of supply of the medicine. In either case, the pharmacy may be able to make it up straight away or if they are busy, they may ask you to come back later.

Some pharmacies may have to order in your medication, especially if it is an uncommon medicine. This may take between a day to a few weeks depending on the medication, but they will be able to advise you on the expected wait time.

Medicine costs

Starting from June 2023, most subsidized prescription medicines from your GP, accident and healthcare, or the hospital are free of charge. The $5 prescription fee has been removed to improve access to medicines for the New Zealand population. There are certain medicines that are either partly subsidized, non-subsidized, or require a special authority to be subsidized. These may result in a cost for you, however the pharmacy should be able to advise you on the cost when you hand in or receive your prescription. Dentist prescriptions, specialist prescriptions, and prescriptions from private hospitals such as Southern Cross will still have a co-payment of up to $15 per item.

The government agency that determines which medicines are funded is Pharmac. A list of which medicines are funded in New Zealand is available on the Pharmac Online Schedule. Pharmac decides which medicines are funded based on many factors including the medicine cost, availability, effectiveness, and priority.

Receiving Your Medications

Once your prescription has been processed and your medicines dispensed, you will be able to pick it up from the dispensary. Dispensary staffs are trained to give you advice regarding your medicines and answer any questions you may have. If you have any questions regarding your treatment or side effects, now is the time to ask. If you are taking a medicine for the first time, the pharmacy can provide you with information regarding your medicine, including a print-out of how the medicine works and possible side effects.

Repeat Prescriptions

In New Zealand, doctors can prescribe any quantity of medication up to a maximum of 3 months supply. Depending on the medication, these may be given stat (all 3 months together) or non-stat (usually weekly/monthly). If there are repeats on your medication, you will have to come back to the pharmacy that has processed the initial prescription as most pharmacies do not share their system and cannot access prescriptions that have been done elsewhere. The repeats are stored on the pharmacy’s system, which means that you can visit or call the pharmacy and they will be able to make it up for you. Generally, repeats can only be processed after an appropriate amount of time i.e. After 3 weeks if you get your medications monthly. Exceptions include if you are going to be travelling or it is inconvenient for you to come back to the pharmacy.

Now that we know how to get your prescriptions filled at a pharmacy, we will explore the finer details of how prescriptions work in New Zealand in the next article.