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
Primary health care and equity front and centre of report
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Primary health care and equity front and centre of report
Tuesday 16 June 2020, 02:27 PM

Putting primary health care and equity at the centre of the Health and Disability System Review is a real positive of the report, Family Planning says.
As a provider of primary health care, we appreciate how important population and public health services are to general wellbeing, improved health outcomes and equity.
Our chief executive says there are a number of positives within the report:
- The proposal to establish a Māori Health Authority.
- The focus on primary health care.
- Population and public health will drive all strategies and outcome measures.
- The role of a new crown entity like the proposed Health New Zealand, in particular the guidance and consistency in commissioning and contracting protocols.
- The priority given to prevention and addressing inequities by expanding service coverage in areas of highest need.
"Like many, we are looking for more detail around how the report will be implemented, in particular we want to understand how it will impact our work across sexual and reproductive health," Ms Edmond says.