What you need to know about extended prescriptions The Government has recently changed the law on how long we can prescribe medications to someone. The previous limit was three months, but extended prescriptions mean that, where appropriate, some patients may be able to get up to 12 months of medication on a single prescription. This is mainly for people with stable, long‑term conditions, to reduce the cost and inconvenience of repeat appointments on your daily life. This isn’t suitable for all patients and all medications. Your prescriber (GP or Nurse Practitioner) is responsible for deciding what is appropriate to ensure your wellbeing. It also isn’t applied automatically; you will need to discuss it with us at your next routine appointment. What isn’t changing? ● Pharmacies will continue to dispense your medicines in three-month doses at a time,even if your prescription is for longer. ● The usual prescription co‑payment remains the same (usually $5), and you won’t be charged for repeats at the pharmacy. There are no changes to who qualifies for prescription fee exemptions or subsidy schemes. ● You will still need at least an annual review with a clinician for all your long‑term medicines, or more often if your health or test results change. Who and what is excluded? There are legal limitations on who we can offer extended prescriptions to. The following patients may not be able to access extended prescriptions: ● Children, teenagers, people with cognitive impairment, pregnant patients or older adults (80+), as closer monitoring is usually required. ● People recently discharged from hospital or who have had medication changes made by a specialist. ● People who receive medicines in blister packs, are on multiple medications, or have unstable conditions. ● People who often miss appointments or repeats, or collect their prescriptions irregularly. Certain medicines are excluded from extended prescriptions: ● Controlled drugs (by law, these can still only be prescribed monthly). ● High‑risk medicines such as blood thinners, lithium, methotrexate, insulin, and opioids. ● Medicines that need frequent blood tests or close monitoring. ● New medicines or medicines where your dose has been changed recently. In some situations, your prescription will be limited to three months, for example: ● If you miss a recall or review appointment. ● If mixing different prescription lengths would be confusing for you or your pharmacy. ● If your usual GP or Nurse Practitioner is away (unless clearly documented in your records). What you need to do: ● Extended prescriptions aren’t put in place automatically - you can discuss it at your next in-person appointment with your usual GP or Nurse Practitioner. ● Keep attending your regular check‑ups and complete any blood tests or monitoring your clinician requests, as these help us determine if extended prescribing is safe for you. ● Pay attention to repeat notifications from your pharmacy, as you’ll still need to visit them every three months to pick up your medication. ● Talk with our team if your circumstances change (such as hospital admission, pregnancy, or new symptoms). If there are any concerns about your health, your test results, or how you are taking your medicines, your GP may shorten the prescription period.

Ashhurst Health Care is now part of a broader network of practices under a new umbrella brand—Local Health. This brand has been created to better represent our practices, our people, and the communities we serve. Alongside us, Feilding Health Care, Group Medical, and Awapuni Medical will also be part of Local Health.  Local Health reflects what’s important to us: providing locally-owned healthcare that meets the needs of our communities.  Check out the new Local Health website http://www.localhealth.nz While you may notice some changes to our external signage, and a few of our back-office team members may update their email signatures, there will be no significant changes to daily operations within your practice. Rest assured, our focus remains on delivering the same excellent service to our communities.  

Feilding Health Care’s new website offers a range of services for you to manage your health more effectively and efficiently. 

ManageMyHealth™ gives you the freedom to manage your health information online from the comfort of your home or work. Think of it as Internet banking for your health. It is a fast and secure way for you to book appointments with your doctor or nurse, view test results, see past medical information, repeat prescriptions, and more. You can access your personal health information anytime, anywhere and ensure that your information remains completely safe and secure. Your doctor will discuss with you what information may be helpful to you and then decide what information is sent to your electronic health record. Your online Personal Health Record can be made up of:

• Consultation notes. Notes created by your doctor during your doctor’s visit.
• Laboratory results. Once your doctor has reviewed your result it is sent to ManageMyHealth™.
• Prescriptions. The drugs that you have been prescribed both long & short term
• Immunisations. What immunisations you have received.
• Allergies. What allergies you have been diagnosed with.
• Diagnosis. Shows you what medical conditions you have been diagnosed with, either long or short term conditions.
• Recalls. Shows you any future appointments your doctor has asked you to come in for.

In addition to this you will have the ability to do the following:

• Send secure email: This feature allows you to securely communicate with your doctor and vice versa. Please note the decision to allow you to send emails to your doctor is their decision. Doctors must decide how best to cater for this extra need of their patients. Some doctors will be quicker to embrace this option than others.
• Keep a journal: Create an online journal where you could enter goals and record your progress, or simply record information you would like to discuss with your doctor next time you see them. You also have the ability to make a journal entry private which means only you are able to access this information.
• Create a Calendar: You are able to create calendar items to help remind you of things coming up such as any appointments or programs you may be involved with. In the near future we will provide you the option to be reminded via a text message to your mobile phone.
• Join Community Forums: You are able to create your own discussion topic or simply join in with existing discussions. If you have any experience or wisdom, other patients similar to your self will be very grateful if you were to share your experiences.
• Access Health News: We will monitor the Internet to find any new relevant article which may be of interest to you.

The registration process is quick and easy. All you need is a personal email address, proof of identity, and to be 18 years or older. Visit the Health Care centre team today, and we will guide you through the registration process. Any questions? Phone 06 323 9696 for more information.