The next time someone with a long-term illness walks into their local pharmacy they may find they will be treated differently than before, due to the new way pharmacies will be funded.
Pharmacies will no longer be funded by the number of medicines given out, but instead paid through a government rewards system for the extra advice and support they give patients.
Wanganui Central City pharmacist Des Healy said a major part of the agreement was hoped to include three-month lots of medicine to be dispensed to patients with long-term illnesses such as diabetes, arthritis or heart conditions.
He said the pharmacies would be able to communicate more efficiently with a patient's GP by indicating on the prescription "LTC" if they felt the patient needed to undergo the assessment.
Following a Whanganui District Health Board meeting with local pharmacies on Tuesday night, Mr Healy commented on how the new changes would affect the Wanganui region.