Pharmacy group warns patients may face more consultation charges [Video]

By Ruth Hill of RNZ

Pharmacy owners are warning more consultation charges for patients may be needed as revenue shrinks, forcing some to close up shop.

The Pharmacy Guild is calling on the Government to urgently fix what it calls a “flawed funding model”.

Lower Hutt man Bruce was picking up some prescriptions from his local chemist recently, when he asked if the pharmacist could have a look at his daughter’s sore toe.

The pharmacist inspected the toe in a consultation room and asked a few questions, before recommending Dettol and some cream.

“So he went and got that and rang it up at the counter and I paid for it, and it was like $45, quite a bit,” Bruce said.

Bruce queried the bill and was told it included a $25 consultation fee. Because he had not been warned about the fee, the pharmacy waived it that time.

However, Bruce said in future, he …