For older people and frail people, the long-term benefit of medicines reduces and the potential for harm from adverse effects increases. When the benefit–risk balance changes in this way, medicine review and optimisation are important to simplify the therapeutic regimen, reduce inappropriate medicines and minimise risks. In this article, pharmacist prescriber Linda Bryant uses two case studies to illustrate important considerations during medicine reviews
Summer days, rural clinics: Those who stay so others can play
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Summer days, rural clinics: Those who stay so others can play
Friday 31 January 2025, 03:08 PM

Come the festive break, some of the country’s smallest practices gear up for the summer workload of sunburn, embedded fishhooks and surfboard knocks, not to mention the urgent and after-hours callouts [Image: YiuCheung on iStock]
Come summer, the country’s cities and towns empty out to beaches, lakes and mountains served by some of our most isolated general practices. Fiona Cassie finds out how they cope
We’ve had our staff basically yelled and screamed at by a bus driver who couldn’t understand why we can’t see their patient onboard
Thanks to an
Kia ora and welcome to New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa
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