Self-care in New Zealand: The role of the community pharmacy

Self-care is a growing area in community pharmacy globally. In a time where people are taking control over their own health care, the question of the degree of self-care available from community pharmacies is pertinent. New Zealand is a country that has publicly funded healthcare; with over 1000 community pharmacies catering to a population of 5 million people. Despite the availability and accessibility of community pharmacies, much remains unknown about how self-care is offered in community pharmacies and the extent to which it is provided. In addition to this lack of clarity, is the current period of reorganisation occurring in the New Zealand healthcare system. The current changes involve dis-establishing district health boards (DHBs) and unifying the New Zealand health system into one streamlined system. It leads us to question whether this move will change funding allocations and health priorities as well as how they affect service provision in community pharmacy. While research has shown that New Zealand is paving the way in medicines reclassification making medicines more accessible, other research shows a fragmentation exists in services provided by community pharmacies in the area of self-care. This article will highlight what is currently known about self-care in New Zealand, the gaps that exist and the current challenges in this area.