PHARMAC

1
Mereana Wilson PHARMAC Leanne Te Karu Maori
Pharmacist Association MARCH 2008
2
He Rongoa Pai, He Oranga Whanau

• Background
• Maori Responsiveness Strategy 2002
• Research suggests cultural differences have an
  impact on patient adherence to medicine use.
• Consultation with Maori identified issues like
  Lack of quality information, sharing, storing and
  misuse of medicines, uncertainty of prescribed
  medicines.
• National pharmaceutical data indicates
• Maori have lower prescription and uptake rates
  than Non-Maori
• Prescription rates are particularly low for
  antibacterial and cardiovascular medications

3
Whanau Staying Well with Medicines

• Goal
• To improve uptake and appropriate use of
  subsidised medicines to Maori consumers.
• Objectives
• Increase awareness of safe and appropriate use of
  medications
• Improve access to medicines
• Develop patient and whanau education resources
  that will be used by kaimahi
• Promote medications as part of managing overall
  health care

4
Programme Strategies
5
Patient Resources Medicines List
6
Patient Resources - Prescription Subsidies

• Whats that card for?
• Should I have one of these cards?
• Where do you get one of these cards?
• Ive got one of these cards now what?

7
Health Workforce Training

• Training available for Maori Community Health
  Workers and Primary Care Nurses
• Pilot program in 2006 with 85 participants
• Evaluation and six month follow-up showed
  positive results
• Topics covered
• Maori Health and Maori Priorities
• Rongoa Maori
• Pharmaceuticals Role in New Zealand Health
• Access to subsidised medicines
• Health Problems that Impact on Maori
• A 5 R's Practical Application
• Treatment and Effective Communication with Maori

8
Pilot Training ResultsAttendees self-rated
knowledge of medicine pre post course
Overall average BEFORE-course 5.9
Overall average AFTER-course 7.6

• Participant Feedback
• Enjoyed topics on Rongoa and how pharmaceuticals
  interrelate with each other.
• Improved understanding of Maori culture and Maori
  attitudes to medicines to highlight areas for
  better communication
• Reinforced, refreshed and consolidated prior
  knowledge.
• Identified benefits of interacting with
  pharmacists for expertise and terminology

9
What course topics do attendees remember learning?
10
Project Outcomes

• Understand what the pharmaceutical schedule is an
  how to use it
• Knowing what medicines are subsidised
• Safe practice with medicines, e.g. taking full
  course, not sharing and not storing
• Effective communication with Maori patients
  whanau
• Understand How Rongoa Maori works with
  pharmaceuticals
• Identifying community health services and how to
  engage, e.g. local pharmacist

11
Links to the Health Sector

• HRPHOW Training Program upskilling the Maori
  health workforce
• Maori Pharmacists Association
• PRISM Cultural Competency
• Scholarships for emerging Maori pharmacists
• College of Pharmacists

12
Next Steps

• Health Workforce Training
• 2008 continue training for Maori health workforce
• 2009 work with mainstream to raise awareness of
  Maori health
• Pre-testing Patient resources
• 4 regions Christchurch, Auckland, Wellington,
  Taranaki
• Maori Development Organisations and affiliates
• Intern pharmacists
• Development of e-learning module
• Compliment training program
• Stand-alone component