Prescription Fees Remain Low At Community Pharmacy in Christchurch

Good news for customers of the Community Pharmacy in Linwood, Christchurch.

They will be charged no more than $3 per prescription item despite prescription fees increasing around the country from tomorrow to $5 per item.

Pharmacist Anne Tiller says she and her husband Joe opened the Community Pharmacy in Linwood two years ago with lower costs for over the counter medications and prescription fees sitting at $1.50 per item to help those on limited budgets.

“We have noticed a large number of patients coming from beyond the Linwood area because of the lower prescription fees and cheaper over the counter products,” she says. “This is the reason we set the pharmacy up, to enable and encourage access for those who can least afford it.”

Anne Tiller says the pharmacy has saved people in the community around $40,000 to $50,000 in prescription charges in the 2011-2012 year and that is very satisfying.

Although the Christmas period can be an expensive time of year, Tiller adds that customers have continued to collect their prescription medication and it’s a trend she and her team see throughout the year.

“The fact that our customers come in and pick up their medication often means they do not become more unwell and this is quite clear in the feedback we receive from them,” she says.

www.communitypharmacy.co.nz

201 Linwood Avenue
Linwood
Christchurch

ENDS