January 31, 2026 • 9 mins
From today, New Zealanders will be able to get prescriptions that won't need to be renewed through their GPs for a whole year.
The change will impact those with long-term conditions like asthma and epilepsy.
GPs will decide on a case by case basis whether it's safe to prescribe a medication for the full 12 months, and patients will no longer have to see their GP every 3 months for a new script.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News talks 'b.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
From today, New Zealanders will be able to get prescriptions
that won't need to be renewed through their GPS for
a whole year throughout the year. Should I say the
change will impact in particular those with long term conditions
like asthma and epilepsy. GPS will decide on a case
by case basis whether it's safe to prescribe a medication
(00:30):
for the full twelve months, and patients will no longer
basically have to just check in with their GP every
three months for a new script. And Health Minister Simeon
Brown joins me, good afternoon, Good afternoon, how are you good? Good?
So what was the priority with this legislation? Was it
about freeing up appointments for GPS cost saving? How would
you describe the motivations for this bit of Well.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
I think a couple of priorities behind this common sense policy. Firstly,
it's about increasing access to medicines, saving patients money, but
also freeing up access to our GP, which is critically
important with too many New Zealanders waiting too long to
get a GP appointment. So it's a win win policy,
and ultimately it allows New Zealanders to be able to
(01:15):
get increased access to medicines as well.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
So who actually will be eligible for it? How is
that defined? So people don't get the hope look about
getting twelve months of antibiotics.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Yes, so yeah, Ultimately gps and prescriptors will make the
decision on a case by case basis and consultation with
their patients, and ultimately it'll be people with long term
stable conditions who most likely are going to benefit. So
for example, someone like myself, I've got sthma, it's a
long term stable condition. In consultation with my GP, those
(01:48):
will be the conversations you think about diabetes, epilepsy, other
conditions as well, where there's patients with a long term
condition at the moment they're having to go back to
their GP every three months to get their prescription renewed.
Will actually under this new policy, they'll be able to
the GP will be able to give them a twelve
month prescription. Thus have to collect their medication from the
(02:09):
fants every three months, but it will save that prescription
renewal and of course the cost and time that goes
alongside that. For what is medicines that they need and
have had probably for many years.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Of course, of course, with any change to prescribing legislation,
you know there's safety issues. How do you reassure people
that it's not going to mean people will slip through
the cracks?
Speaker 3 (02:30):
So to GPS or prescribers will be the ones making
the decision on a case by case basis. It's up
to twelve months. So in some instances GPS might say, well, actually,
I think it should be a six month or a
nine month prescription based on the condition of the patient
or a variety of other factors. So up to twelve
(02:50):
months will mean that. So some patients who have a
long term stable condition might suit them. For other patients
maybe they might need to be more regularly checked in
with their GP. But this gives patients the ability to
be able to get those long term prescriptions. It also
gives gs the ability to be able to prescribe for
long term prescriptions where they know that their patient has
(03:11):
a long term condition is in a stable condition, they
can now provide that and obviously freeze up time for
that GP there to see other patients at the same time.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Do you have any idea on the number of people
that this will impact.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Well, when you think about a number of people who
have long term stable conditions, that's you know, hundreds of
thousands of New Zealanders and asthma, diabetes, people with blood pressure,
high blood pressure, so huge numbers of New Zealanders could
potentially benefit from this policy change. So I know it's
of huge interest to many New Zealanders. And what we
encourage people to do is have those conversations with their
(03:43):
GP when they next go to get their prescription renewed.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
How are gps feeling about it? They comfortable?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Well, look, I think there's a range of feedback. As
you said, with any change in policy, there's always going
to be a range of views. As gps, ultimately they're
the ones who we're making these decisions in consultation with
their patients. But look, this is designed to also support
gps to be able to free up more capacity so
they can see more patients. So if they're not having
to you know, renew a prescription for someone as often,
(04:13):
that frees up their time so they are able to
see more patients. And we know for too many New
Zealanders they'll take the time to see a GP is
too long and we're trying to free up their capacity
so they can see more patients.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Any guests on numbers or the percentage of appointments that
might be freed up through.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
This, well, we haven't got any specific modeling around you
know what pretent percentage of a particular number of appointments
about making the change and ultimately, you know, we're encouraging
GPS and consultation with your patients to have those conversations
and they'll make those decisions on a case by case
basis as they as they do.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Hey, what about pharmacists. I've seen a little bit of
comment about the increase in work lad and new systems
and all that sort of thing. How would you reassure
pharmacists is not going to ruin their lives?
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Well, ultimately, pharmacists, they are the ones who provide those medicines.
They provide them to the patients when they come to
the pharmacy. This change has there's been a lot of
work begne on and behind the scenes between Health New
Zealand and our pharmacists around this change. There has been
some systems which have had to be updated, but we've
(05:22):
also made a couple of commitments there around making sure
that their revenue is protected and supported as they go
through this change as well. So there's been a lot
of work going on behind the scenes to make sure
that those systems and everything can work as smoothly as possible.
I've seen a bit of commentary from some pharmacists around
you know, the change in the conversations they're going to
(05:44):
have to have with patients. I was just down at
my local pharmacy at Unique m in Packadanga earlier today,
just talking to Vicky, who is the pharmacist there. They've
got information up in the pharmacy to explain the changes
to directly to their patients as well. So I think
for many many pharmacists and gps and doctors, obviously there's
(06:05):
a change, but there's a lot of information out there
around what this change means and how it's going to
be implemented.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Just on one other health story I saw recently, but
just the New Zealanders, an increasing number of New Zealanders
apparently tune turning to private health insurance because they're worried
the public system won't be there when they need it.
I'm I'm not sure if you've seen those stories, but
it's affecting premiums may be pushing the cost up. Is
that concerning you.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Well, there's a large number of New Zealanders who do
have private health insurance. My role as Minister of Health
is to make sure that we are strengthening our public
health system focused on reducing weightlists for those patients who
for those those New Zealanders who have private health insurance.
Ultimately there is a you know, we encourage those them
(06:54):
to have those conversations with their with their insurance company.
But my role as Minister of Health is to be
really focusing our public health system on reducing wait times,
increasing efficiency. We've put billions of dollars additional funding into
our healthcare system since we came to government. We've hundreds
more doctors, thousand more nurses. Our focus is on reducing
weightlists and making sure it's as efficient as possible so
(07:16):
New Zealanders can get the care they need when they
need it.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
I guess you wouldn't want you'd want people to be
able to think that they can trust it. You'd be
I mean, I would be concerned that there are more
people turning to private health insurance. I mean, isn't that
a natural? So the thing regardless what you're putting in play.
The perception is out there that it's hard to get
it when you go public well New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
New Zealanders have the choice around whether they wish to
buy health insurans. I haven't. The numbers I've seen show
that the number of New Zealanders who have private health
insurance has remained relatively stable in recent years. But as
Minister of Health, my job is to make sure that
we're focused on strengthening our public health system, reducing weightlists
and wait times. We're making good progress with seeing such
(07:56):
as the Elective Boost, which is seeing more elective surgeries done,
particularly through contracts with our private hospitals and getting them
getting getting more people seen sooner. So we're making good
progress after those weightlists did balloon during COVID and under
the previous government. We have a long way to go
and we have to continue our focus on strengthening in
(08:18):
the public health system and reducing those weightlists because.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
We've got an election here this year. But at what
major sort of bits of work are you looking to
keep moving or to push ahead with as Health minister
this year.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Well, my key focus really is the government's five Health Targets,
which we introduced reintroduced when we came to government, really
focused on you know, the shorter weight times and emergency departments,
shorter weight times, reluctive surgeries and specialist appointments. Our faster
cancer target, which we've we've made we're making good progress against,
in particular with the thirty three new cancer medicines nationals
(08:53):
funded since we came to government, and increasing immunization rates
for our children. So those five health targets really do
focus Minister of Health so that there are our five
key priorities in our health care alongside, of course strengthening
you know, the workforce with more doctors, more nurses, so
we can actually get more delivered through our public health system.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Hey, I just I just had a text here from
someone saying do you have private surant health insurance?
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Not personally myself known.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Good call. Well, I guess that'll that'll that helps focus
your attention anyway. I don't want to put it so quickily,
but I really appreciate your time. This happening though, sim
and thank you so.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Much for more from the Weekend Collective. Listen live to
News Talk ZB weekends from three pm, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News talks 'b.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
From today, New Zealanders will be able to get prescriptions
that won't need to be renewed through their GPS for
a whole year throughout the year. Should I say the
change will impact in particular those with long term conditions
like asthma and epilepsy. GPS will decide on a case
by case basis whether it's safe to prescribe a medication
(00:30):
for the full twelve months, and patients will no longer
basically have to just check in with their GP every
three months for a new script. And Health Minister Simeon
Brown joins me, good afternoon, Good afternoon, how are you good? Good?
So what was the priority with this legislation? Was it
about freeing up appointments for GPS cost saving? How would
you describe the motivations for this bit of Well.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
I think a couple of priorities behind this common sense policy. Firstly,
it's about increasing access to medicines, saving patients money, but
also freeing up access to our GP, which is critically
important with too many New Zealanders waiting too long to
get a GP appointment. So it's a win win policy,
and ultimately it allows New Zealanders to be able to
(01:15):
get increased access to medicines as well.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
So who actually will be eligible for it? How is
that defined? So people don't get the hope look about
getting twelve months of antibiotics.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Yes, so yeah, Ultimately gps and prescriptors will make the
decision on a case by case basis and consultation with
their patients, and ultimately it'll be people with long term
stable conditions who most likely are going to benefit. So
for example, someone like myself, I've got sthma, it's a
long term stable condition. In consultation with my GP, those
(01:48):
will be the conversations you think about diabetes, epilepsy, other
conditions as well, where there's patients with a long term
condition at the moment they're having to go back to
their GP every three months to get their prescription renewed.
Will actually under this new policy, they'll be able to
the GP will be able to give them a twelve
month prescription. Thus have to collect their medication from the
(02:09):
fants every three months, but it will save that prescription
renewal and of course the cost and time that goes
alongside that. For what is medicines that they need and
have had probably for many years.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Of course, of course, with any change to prescribing legislation,
you know there's safety issues. How do you reassure people
that it's not going to mean people will slip through
the cracks?
Speaker 3 (02:30):
So to GPS or prescribers will be the ones making
the decision on a case by case basis. It's up
to twelve months. So in some instances GPS might say, well, actually,
I think it should be a six month or a
nine month prescription based on the condition of the patient
or a variety of other factors. So up to twelve
(02:50):
months will mean that. So some patients who have a
long term stable condition might suit them. For other patients
maybe they might need to be more regularly checked in
with their GP. But this gives patients the ability to
be able to get those long term prescriptions. It also
gives gs the ability to be able to prescribe for
long term prescriptions where they know that their patient has
(03:11):
a long term condition is in a stable condition, they
can now provide that and obviously freeze up time for
that GP there to see other patients at the same time.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Do you have any idea on the number of people
that this will impact.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Well, when you think about a number of people who
have long term stable conditions, that's you know, hundreds of
thousands of New Zealanders and asthma, diabetes, people with blood pressure,
high blood pressure, so huge numbers of New Zealanders could
potentially benefit from this policy change. So I know it's
of huge interest to many New Zealanders. And what we
encourage people to do is have those conversations with their
(03:43):
GP when they next go to get their prescription renewed.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
How are gps feeling about it? They comfortable?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Well, look, I think there's a range of feedback. As
you said, with any change in policy, there's always going
to be a range of views. As gps, ultimately they're
the ones who we're making these decisions in consultation with
their patients. But look, this is designed to also support
gps to be able to free up more capacity so
they can see more patients. So if they're not having
to you know, renew a prescription for someone as often,
(04:13):
that frees up their time so they are able to
see more patients. And we know for too many New
Zealanders they'll take the time to see a GP is
too long and we're trying to free up their capacity
so they can see more patients.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Any guests on numbers or the percentage of appointments that
might be freed up through.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
This, well, we haven't got any specific modeling around you
know what pretent percentage of a particular number of appointments
about making the change and ultimately, you know, we're encouraging
GPS and consultation with your patients to have those conversations
and they'll make those decisions on a case by case
basis as they as they do.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Hey, what about pharmacists. I've seen a little bit of
comment about the increase in work lad and new systems
and all that sort of thing. How would you reassure
pharmacists is not going to ruin their lives?
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Well, ultimately, pharmacists, they are the ones who provide those medicines.
They provide them to the patients when they come to
the pharmacy. This change has there's been a lot of
work begne on and behind the scenes between Health New
Zealand and our pharmacists around this change. There has been
some systems which have had to be updated, but we've
(05:22):
also made a couple of commitments there around making sure
that their revenue is protected and supported as they go
through this change as well. So there's been a lot
of work going on behind the scenes to make sure
that those systems and everything can work as smoothly as possible.
I've seen a bit of commentary from some pharmacists around
you know, the change in the conversations they're going to
(05:44):
have to have with patients. I was just down at
my local pharmacy at Unique m in Packadanga earlier today,
just talking to Vicky, who is the pharmacist there. They've
got information up in the pharmacy to explain the changes
to directly to their patients as well. So I think
for many many pharmacists and gps and doctors, obviously there's
(06:05):
a change, but there's a lot of information out there
around what this change means and how it's going to
be implemented.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Just on one other health story I saw recently, but
just the New Zealanders, an increasing number of New Zealanders
apparently tune turning to private health insurance because they're worried
the public system won't be there when they need it.
I'm I'm not sure if you've seen those stories, but
it's affecting premiums may be pushing the cost up. Is
that concerning you.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Well, there's a large number of New Zealanders who do
have private health insurance. My role as Minister of Health
is to make sure that we are strengthening our public
health system focused on reducing weightlists for those patients who
for those those New Zealanders who have private health insurance.
Ultimately there is a you know, we encourage those them
(06:54):
to have those conversations with their with their insurance company.
But my role as Minister of Health is to be
really focusing our public health system on reducing wait times,
increasing efficiency. We've put billions of dollars additional funding into
our healthcare system since we came to government. We've hundreds
more doctors, thousand more nurses. Our focus is on reducing
weightlists and making sure it's as efficient as possible so
(07:16):
New Zealanders can get the care they need when they
need it.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
I guess you wouldn't want you'd want people to be
able to think that they can trust it. You'd be
I mean, I would be concerned that there are more
people turning to private health insurance. I mean, isn't that
a natural? So the thing regardless what you're putting in play.
The perception is out there that it's hard to get
it when you go public well New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
New Zealanders have the choice around whether they wish to
buy health insurans. I haven't. The numbers I've seen show
that the number of New Zealanders who have private health
insurance has remained relatively stable in recent years. But as
Minister of Health, my job is to make sure that
we're focused on strengthening our public health system, reducing weightlists
and wait times. We're making good progress with seeing such
(07:56):
as the Elective Boost, which is seeing more elective surgeries done,
particularly through contracts with our private hospitals and getting them
getting getting more people seen sooner. So we're making good
progress after those weightlists did balloon during COVID and under
the previous government. We have a long way to go
and we have to continue our focus on strengthening in
(08:18):
the public health system and reducing those weightlists because.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
We've got an election here this year. But at what
major sort of bits of work are you looking to
keep moving or to push ahead with as Health minister
this year.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Well, my key focus really is the government's five Health Targets,
which we introduced reintroduced when we came to government, really
focused on you know, the shorter weight times and emergency departments,
shorter weight times, reluctive surgeries and specialist appointments. Our faster
cancer target, which we've we've made we're making good progress against,
in particular with the thirty three new cancer medicines nationals
(08:53):
funded since we came to government, and increasing immunization rates
for our children. So those five health targets really do
focus Minister of Health so that there are our five
key priorities in our health care alongside, of course strengthening
you know, the workforce with more doctors, more nurses, so
we can actually get more delivered through our public health system.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Hey, I just I just had a text here from
someone saying do you have private surant health insurance?
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Not personally myself known.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Good call. Well, I guess that'll that'll that helps focus
your attention anyway. I don't want to put it so quickily,
but I really appreciate your time. This happening though, sim
and thank you so.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Much for more from the Weekend Collective. Listen live to
News Talk ZB weekends from three pm, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio
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