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
Breast Cancer Foundation NZ responds to Pharmac funding announcement
Breast Cancer Foundation NZ responds to Pharmac funding announcement

Ah-Leen Rayner, chief executive of Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, said: “While we welcome the Government’s commitment to ensuring all of the medicines New Zealanders can already access will continue to be funded, today’s announcement sadly doesn’t even touch on the broader problem of Kiwis being denied new, modern drugs.
“The $1.774 billion investment won’t cover the 13 new cancer drugs National promised it would fund, or any other new treatment on Pharmac’s Options for Investment list.
“There is still an urgent need to significantly increase Pharmac’s funding and we really hope to see this addressed in the Government’s Budget next month. Because right now, there are breast cancer patients who are having to fundraise tens of thousands of dollars for drugs to save and extend their lives, or go simply go without.”