Racking up a bill

If you need a prescription during a stay in hospital, you may be expected to fork out to cover its cost. Helen Laurent finds out more
The last thing you would want to deal with after spending 37 days in hospital is a pharmacy bill of $258. But that's exactly what Ted Buckwell got. The Te Atatu resident was given the expensive prescription bill earlier this year after spending time in Auckland Hospital to fix complications from a heart transplant. It might surprise Aucklanders to know if you get a pharmacy prescription from anywhere other than where you are enrolled with a Primary Health Organisation (PHO), you are charged $15 per item. Most people are enrolled with a PHO through their family doctor and prescriptions there cost $3. But prescriptions from hospitals, specialists, accident and emergency centres and any general practitioner other than your usual GP incur the full $15 per item charge. The only exceptions are community service card holders or high use health card holders. There is also a subsidy after 20 items. Mr Buckwell was charged $15 each for almost 20 items - for him there was no option but to pay. "It's a choice of take the medicines or die. There is no choice really. But it is expensive. I know a lot of families who are already really struggling and this would make it very difficult." Glenfield pharmacist Joe Hannah also sees the struggle people go through. "We get some people having to go back to their family doctor to get a prescription from them to avoid it," he says. "I think it's ridiculous, no matter where you go, you should pay the same." Community advocacy group Waitakere Health Link has brought the issue to the attention of Waitemata District Health Board. All three of Auckland's district health boards would like to see the rules around non-PHO pharmacy prescriptions looked at by the Ministry of Health and have been in talks about it. "The district health board views this as a national issue that needs to be addressed. We would like the charges to be consistent with those that apply for patients enrolled with a PHO," says Waitemata spokesperson Dr Dale Bramley. But spokesman for the Health Ministry, Michael Flyger, says it's a matter for local PHOs. "Agreements between general practitioners and prescribers in the same PHO are a matter for the PHO to sort out. The overseeing district health board needs to approve it."