The Wire with Jessica

November is the month of Pet Diabetes Awareness.

With 1 in 4 of all cats and dogs nationally being overweight, it is predicted that 1 in 300 dogs and 1 in 230 cats will suffer from diabetes in their lifetime.

Producer Sofia spoke to Michelle le Long, Chief Operating Officer of PD Pet Insurance about the risks of pet diabetes and how best look after your four legged friend.

This week for our catchup with Dr Reti, the discussion centred around the National Party’s plans to reinstate prescription fees on medicines.

The plan has come under fire after a survey of pharmacists across Aotearoa showed that a majority were not in favour of reinstating prescription fees.

Respondents to the survey cited better patient accessibility and interaction as reasons to not reinstate the former co-pay system.

Nicholas also asked Dr Reti about Labour Leader Chris Hipkins recent decision to back calls for a ceasefire in Gaza. 

Nicholas began by asking Dr Reti about the reasoning behind reintroducing prescription fees.

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.

Age Concern Aotearoa is a national charity and advocacy group for older people, and has been working in collaboration with Driving Miss Daisy, a company that works across the country to provide personal assistance with transporting it’s largely older client base. The groups have been working together to produce the resource booklet called “Life without a car” which aims to help older people discuss the options of transport available to them, and how daily tasks such as grocery shopping, seeking medical care and remaining social with their communities can be maintained without driving. 

Rosetta spoke to Age Concern Chief Executive Karen Billings-Jensen about the resource, the challenges our older population without cars can face, and what more needs to be done to support them.