August 2019

New pharmacies can once again open in Northland, following the DHB’s implementation of its new community pharmacy strategy last month

A figure in the burgeoning medicinal cannabis industry says government intervention is needed to ensure cannabisderived medicines are affordable when they hit pharmacy shelves next year

HOT NEWS: early details of our new awards night are out. Pharmacy’s big night out will be even bigger next year, with the creation of a pan-sector awards event recognising excellence throughout primary healthcare

With ever-changing rules and expectations for pharmacists, the dispensary can be a confusing place

Pharmacists are now permitted to dispense the sleep medication melatonin to insomnia patients without a prescription, but it may be two months before pharmacists can actually offer the new service

In a new era of DHBs expecting pharmacists to offer more clinical services, and a not-so-new era of rural pharmacies struggling to find workers

Have public health messages about reducing salt consumption been too effective? Should we be getting our nutritional "fix" of iodine some other way?

Pharmacy staff are well versed in dealing with customers’ embarrassing issues, from ponging pits to bad breath and spotty skin. They are required to walk the line between tactful behaviour and getting to the heart of the matter.

Haemorrhoids (also known as piles) are swollen and inflamed veins in the rectum and anus. Treatment and prevention will often involve OTC products, home remedies and lifestyle changes, but serious cases will require referral to a doctor. 

The Medicines Regulations 1984 is your guide to supplying patients with generic meds, writes Auckland pharmacy law lecturer Sanya Ram