Public Key Messages
INFORM
Choose well – Community Pharmacy
• This Winter, Te Whatu Ora is encouraging you to choose well for yourself and your whānau by making your local community pharmacy the place you visit for advice, medicine and referral for minor health conditions.
• A pharmacist can provide you with trusted advice related to your situation. They can give you advice on managing your condition and if recommended, treatment options including medicine. If your condition needs further support, they can help you navigate the health system by recommending the best place to go for your condition.
Community Pharmacy Minor Health Conditions Service
• This Winter, between Monday 12 June and Saturday 30 September, Te Whatu Ora is funding participating community pharmacies in specific areas across the motu, to provide a Minor Health Conditions Service for Māori and Pacific people, children aged under 14 years, and community service card holders.
• Minor health conditions are those that can be managed with advice, self-care and in some cases, medicines provided by your pharmacist. Proper management of minor health conditions can prevent more serious conditions from developing or prevent further costly treatment.
• This service is part of the Winter Preparedness Plan, to help relieve pressure on general practice and hospital services in regions recognised as having consistent and persistent hospital flow challenges and wider system pressures.
• These areas include Te Tai Tokerau (Northland), Auckland, Counties Manukau, Waitematā, Bay of Plenty, MidCentral, Wellington and Hutt Valley, Canterbury, Invercargill, Gore and Southland
• Participating pharmacies can be found by going to Healthpoint and searching “Minor Health Conditions”. You can also find a list on the Te Whatu Ora website [https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/keeping-well/community-pharmacy-minor-healthconditions-service/].
• The following health conditions are included in the Minor Health Conditions Service:
o Acute diarrhoea
o Dehydration
o Eye inflammation and infections
o Scabies
o Headlice
o Pain and fever
o Eczema/Dermatitis
o Minor skin infections
• The Minor Health Conditions Service is for:
o Māori or Pacific
o Children under 14 years of age, or whānau members of a child with similar symptoms. For example, if the pharmacist determines your child is needing treatment for scabies and they have older brothers or sisters, or you yourself also have symptoms, they may provide advice and medicine for you all
o Community Service Card (CSC) holders
• The service is scheduled to start Monday 12 June and will run until Saturday 30 September.
Pharmacies in a catchment area but not participating in the Minor Health Conditions Service
• Our pharmacy is part of the catchment area for the Minor Health Conditions Service, however we are unable to provide the service here. You can find a list of participating pharmacies on Healthpoint or the Te Whatu Ora website.
• Regardless of whether your local community pharmacy is taking part in the Minor Health Conditions Service, they are the place to visit for trusted advice, medicine and referral for minor health conditions
Areas without the Minor Health Conditions Service
• This Winter, some people, in some parts of New Zealand, can access funded advice, and if needed, medicine, for certain health conditions. This is known as the Minor Health Conditions Service.
• We’re doing this to help relieve pressure on the health system in parts of the motu that are particularly stretched.
• The service is available in participating pharmacies across Te Tai Tokerau (Northland), Auckland, Counties Manukau, Waitematā, Bay of Plenty, MidCentral, Wellington and Hutt Valley, Canterbury, Invercargill, Gore and Southland.
• Our pharmacy / district / area is not part of the catchment area for the Minor Health Conditions Service We are still the place to visit for trusted advice, medicine and referral of minor health conditions.
Public Frequently Asked Questions
GENERAL
What is happening?
Choose well for yourself and your whānau this Winter by making your local community pharmacy the place you visit for advice, medicine and referral for minor health conditions.
A pharmacist can provide you with trusted advice related to your situation. They can give you advice on managing your condition and if needed, treatment options which may include medicine. If your condition needs further support, they can recommend the best place for you to go for help.
This Winter, for some groups of people and for some minor health conditions, this advice and treatment, if needed, will be free This is called the Community Pharmacy Minor Health Conditions Service.
We’re doing this to help relieve pressure on the health system in parts of the motu that are particularly stretched.
Who can get it?
The Minor Health Conditions Service is for:
o Māori or Pacific people
o Children under 14 years of age, or a whānau member of child with similar symptoms. For example, if the pharmacist determines your child is needing treatment for scabies and they have older brothers or sisters, or you yourself also have symptoms, they may be able to provide medicine for you all
o Community Service Card (CSC) holders
What conditions are covered under the service?
Minor health conditions are those that can be managed with advice, self-care and, in some cases, medicines provided by your pharmacist. Proper management of minor health conditions can prevent more serious conditions from developing or prevent further costly treatment. The following health conditions are included in the Minor Health Conditions Service:
• Acute diarrhoea
• Dehydration
• Eye inflammation and infections
• Scabies
• Headlice
• Pain and fever
• Eczema/Dermatitis
• Minor skin infections
Where do I get it?
Pharmacies in the following areas have been invited to take part in the service: Te Tai Tokerau (Northland), Auckland, Counties Manukau, Waitematā, Bay of Plenty, MidCentral, Wellington and Hutt Valley, Canterbury, Invercargill, Gore and Southland.
You can find a list of all participating pharmacies on HealthPoint and the Te Whatu Ora website.
When is the service available?
The Minor Health Conditions Service is available from Monday 12 June to Saturday 30 September to relieve hospital and system pressures during the peak of winter.
Why is it happening?
The Minor Health Conditions Service is being offered over Winter to help reduce the pressure on hospitals and primary care in areas recognised as having consistent and persistent hospital flow challenges and wider system pressures.
SPECIFIC
Why isn’t it happening here?
The Minor Health Conditions Service is part of a winter programme to help relieve pressure off hospitals and primary care in regions recognised as having consistent and persistent hospital flow challenges and wider system pressures.
Community pharmacies outside of the catchment area of this Winter programme are still able to provide you with advice specific to your situation, including treatment options if needed or recommendations on whether you should visit your GP or another healthcare provider.
What happens if I have something that’s not covered by the service?
A pharmacist at your local community pharmacy can provide you with free, trusted advice. They can help you manage or treat your condition and recommend who else you might need to see, such as your GP or another healthcare provider.
Can I still see a pharmacist if I don’t meet the eligibility criteria?
Yes, a pharmacist at your local community pharmacy will be able to provide you with advice about your health condition, appropriate treatment options and advice on whether you should see your GP or healthcare provider.
How do I prove my eligibility?
The pharmacists will be able to confirm your eligibility such as age and ethnicity, through your National Health Index (NHI). There is no requirement for people to provide proof of their Community Service Card (CSC) status or ethnicity.
Do I need to book an appointment with my pharmacist?
Check on HealthPoint for information from your local community pharmacy. All community pharmacies will provide advice to people who walk in, however for these minor health conditions you may need some dedicated time and attention. To support this, participating community pharmacies may offer a booking service for a consultation.
Can I have a virtual appointment?
It is not an expectation that community pharmacies provide virtual or telehealth appointments for the Minor Health Conditions Service. Best to check in with your local community pharmacy team directly
Do all my whānau members of an eligible child with the same symptoms have to attend the consultation?
No. An eligible child requiring treatment and a parent or guardian is expected to attend the pharmacy in order for the pharmacist to provide advice, medicine if needed and/or whether you need to see a GP or other healthcare service. There is no expectation that all whānau members with the same symptoms are present at the pharmacy.
Isn’t this just about free paracetamol?
No The Minor Health Conditions Service isn’t about free products or treatment, it is about trusted advice related to your condition from a pharmacist If recommended, eligible people may be provided selected products or treatments to manage specific minor health conditions, free of charge
