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In the annual flood of Budget coverage a few weeks back, one of the big announcements for the health sector was a move to allow 12-month prescription renewals from 2026.
But how is it going to work and how will it affect your health services? RNZ is here to explain it all.
So what are the changes?
The current maximum prescription length for most medicines is three months, but the government's new plan would extend that to 12 months for many medicines.
This means that some patients will no longer need to visit their GP every three months to get their standing medication renewed.
While some repeat prescriptions can be filled without a doctor's visit now by contacting their office, guidelines by the Medical Council of New Zealand on good prescribing practice say "patients receiving repeat prescriptions should be assessed in person on a regular basis" and repeats are given only with a doctor's discretion.
In announcing the plan, Health Minister Simeon Brown said the current system "creates unnecessary barriers for patients on stable, long-term medications like asthma inhalers, insulin for diabetes, and blood pressure tablets. It means added costs for patients and more paperwork for health professionals, taking time away from patients with more urgent or complex needs".
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