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Pharmaceutical co-payments

From 1 September 2008, everyone who is eligible for publicly funded health and disability services should in most circumstances pay only $3 for subsidised medicines.

All prescriptions from a public hospital, a midwife and a Family Planning Clinic are covered for $3 co-payments.

Prescriptions from the following providers are approved for $3 co-payments on subsidised medicines if they meet the specified criteria.

  • After Hours Accident and Medical Services with a DHB or a PHO contract.
  • Youth Health Clinics with a DHB or a PHO contract.
  • Dentists who write a prescription that relates to a service being provided under a DHB contract.
  • Private specialists (for example, opthalmologists and orthopaedics) who write a prescription for a patient receiving a publicly funded service contracted by the DHB.
  • General practitioners who write a prescription during normal business hours to a person who is not enrolled in the general practice provided the person is eligible for publicly funded health and disability services and the general practice is part of a PHO.
  • Hospices that have a contract with a DHB.

Patients can check whether they are eligible for publicly funded health and disability services by referring to the Guide to eligibility.

To check if a medicine is fully subsidised, refer to the Pharmaceutical Schedule on PHARMAC’s website or ask your pharmacist or general practitioner.

DHBs have a list of eligible providers in their respective regions. Any provider/prescriber not specifically listed by a DHB as an approved provider/prescriber should be regarded as not approved.

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Page last updated: 22 September 2011