Abstract
There is considerable quantitative evidence that some groups of people in New Zealand are less likely to get the medicines they need. This report explores the lived experience of a small number of people in these groups in order to understand what obstacles they face in getting medicines. The study followed 21 households (including Māori, Pacific, refugee, and Pākehā households with limited incomes) for approximately a year.
Study participants experienced a variety of barriers when trying to access medication. These barriers included difficulties in obtaining prescriptions due to factors like affordability and challenges in communicating with doctors. Participants also faced obstacles in actually obtaining the medicines, as well as barriers related to their personal circumstances such as a lack of transportation and lack of trust and belief in medicines. Additionally, some participants encountered issues directly related to the medicines themselves, as well as systemic issues such as errors in prescribing and dispensing. Although our focus was on barriers to access, some individual providers and services provided exceptional care and enabled access to medicines.