Rotorua doctors are urging people to plan ahead, to avoid serious complications down the road. Photo / File
Rotorua Hospital Emergency Department doctors are urging people to plan ahead so that they have the medication they need to stay healthy.
Head of Emergency Department Dr Suzanne Moran said emergency departments did occasionally see people who had run out of their usual medication and had not been able to
see their GP in time to get a repeat prescription.
The number of people affected by not taking their usual medications had also increased over recent weeks with the lockdown restrictions and uncertainties due to Covid-19, Moran said.
"Understandably, this has recently become more of an issue. We have seen an increase in people attending ED requesting repeat prescriptions of their painkillers, blood pressure tablets etcetera.
"In some cases, people have become ill as a result of not having their medication and their chronic health condition has deteriorated, causing them to need to seek emergency treatment. Sometimes this can result in very serious problems such as seizures or strokes."
