A new survey of 150 community pharmacists in Aotearoa has found that government prescription fees contribute to serious health issues and cause significant community distress.
News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Gemma Perry, a Community Pharmacy owner in Te Awamutu.
Perry is a member of the Prescription Access Initiative, a group working to enact change around copayments about this.
She started by asking Perry why removing prescription fees for medication is necessary.
A survey of Pharmacists from around Aotearoa on the impact of fees free prescriptions found that a majority of respondents recognised significant benefits from the removal of copay prescriptions.
The survey found that 92% of pharmacists that responded were able to have longer conversations with patients, and 94% agreed that patients no longer had to choose which medications to leave behind.
A collective of pharmacists who responded to the survey are calling on the National Party to rethink their policy to reintroduce the previous copay system.
Nicholas spoke to Sir Collin Tukuitonga about the National Party’s plan to reinstate prescription fees.
He began by asking him how the previous system worked.
Producer Leonard Powell is currently out of town in the Coromandel, however like all of the hardworking news team at 95bFM, he didn't let distance get in the way of a good story.
This is his report on the parking machines at Hot Water Beach.
Anthony Drent (Ex-Partner) and Damian and Billie from Grecco Romank drop by the studio to chat about their gig at Wine Cellar tonight with Ron Gallipoli and brand new band Sick Bag tonight! Also, we get to spin a very spesh unreleased track from Grecco Romank's upcoming album. Whakarongo mai nei!
Kākano Youth Collective pops up to the studio. Artist Tori Whiting talks about his show at Corban's Estate Art Centre. Mandy Patmore recounts the history of the Collective, and the leaps and bounds in life and art that artists like Tori have made in the last few years. Sean Kerr and Judy Darragh waltzed in to chat about their Two Rooms exhibition, In Kahoots.
Grace speaks with Peter O'Connor, education spokesperson for Child Poverty Action Group, about the government's decision to ban NCEA fees. The decision means students will no longer have to pay over seventy dollars per year to take the qualifications.
Grace speaks with Luke Kibblewhite, welfare vice-president of the Auckland University Student's Association, about how effective the first year of fees free education has been for students.
95bFM