COVID-19

A legal challenge over the Medical Council’s 2021 guidance statement on the COVID-19 vaccine and anti-vax claims was underway in the High Court at Wellington today 

Pharmacists and pharmacy owners were outraged by cuts to the pharmacy COVID-19 antivirals service. Jonathan Chilton-Towle reports

The reduction in funding for the pharmacy COVID-19 antivirals service will undermine community pharmacies’ ability to provide essential health services, writes Bay of Plenty Community Pharmacy Group president Stuart MacDonald

The reduction in funding for the pharmacy COVID-19 antivirals service will undermine community pharmacies’ ability to provide essential health services, writes Bay of Plenty Community Pharmacy Group president Stuart MacDonald 

Experts are calling for an urgent upgrade to New Zealand’s mask policies to protect vulnerable people, Patrice Dougan reports

Infectious disease physician Joan Ingram examines the new Comirnaty Omicron XBB.1.5 vaccine, including its effectiveness and safety

Many pharmacists believe the upcoming reduction in funding for providing COVID-19 antivirals makes the service financially unviable, and some say they may refuse to offer it as a result

The Government has confirmed that a second phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned will begin in November with new commissioners and expanded terms of reference   

There is a question mark over how pharmacies will continue to be funded to provide COVID-19 antivirals without a prescription from the start of next month

DISPENSING DATA for COVID-19 antivirals suggest there may have been inequitable access to the treatments.