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Zoom Pharmacy is boosting hapū through its partnership with nib.
Access to prescription medicine is being improved for any person insured with nib – they can now enjoy the benefit of free Zoom deliveries until the end of the year.
The deal should be of particular benefit to Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, an organisation that provides health insurance to more than 3,000 of its members with nib providing insurance to their hapū.
According to the Ministry of Health, Māori have rates of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes around twice that of non- Māori, mainly due to medication non-adherence.
With the help of Zoom, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei hapū members can now have their prescription medicines delivered directly to their door without a delivery charge – helping them remove some barriers that prevent them from taking their medicine.
The initiative also includes a team of pharmacists who will help monitor the members’ medication adherence then offer professional care and advice if they find out that the patient is having a hard time taking their medicine.
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Anahera Rawiri, project manager at Ngāti Whātua, said this is just one of the many ways that the organisation will improve health outcomes for the hapū.
“We want our people to be well and stay well, and empower our whānau to take control of their health and wellbeing. Data from the initiative will be combined with population health data allowing us to analyse trends and develop preventative programmes,” Rawiri said.
Din Redzepagic, pharmacist from Zoom, said they are planning on including other parts of the community where access to medication is a barrier to health outcomes.
He added that the company will offer free delivery until December, which may be extended depending on how well it improves patient access to medicine.
