“Providers will play a key role in supporting pharmacies to deliver this service effectively and equitably.”
According to Health NZ, rheumatic fever is a serious but potentially preventable illness that often starts with a strep throat infection.
It can cause the heart, joints, brain and skin to become inflamed and swollen.
Health NZ central director for planning, funding and outcomes Geoff Gwyn said the intention was for 13 Whanganui pharmacies to be involved.
“Participating pharmacies will be required to deliver a sore throat assessment service, including throat swabbing and the supply of antibiotics under standing orders for eligible patients,” he said.
Gonville Health Pharmacy owner Leighton Souness said he was open to taking on the programme, and pharmacies needed other avenues to work with.
“We would try to make it work. It’s just a workforce issue,” Souness said.
“It could be a scenario where a nurse is involved but then you’re employing a nurse.”
The Chronicle reported this month that Whanganui was in the midst of a pharmacist shortage, with Gonville Pharmacy owner Barbara Hawkins-Falk saying she had “pretty much given up” trying to find them.
Aramoho Pharmacy owner Diane Boyle said the Government wanted pharmacies to take on new services but funding remained an issue.
Pharmacies will be paid $50 per eligible patient for sore throat testing.
“You have to have adequate funding to have people on-site to start with,” she said.
“Without that, we can’t offer anything else. We are overrun, I don’t know how else to describe it.”
Gwyn said providers appointed through the Gets notice would be expected to enable and support participating pharmacies to deliver the service.
That included standing orders for antibiotics, secure claiming and GP notification processes, and co-ordination and reporting to support safe and equitable delivery.
The indicative contract start date was June 30, he said.
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily Whanganui District Council.
