Prescription information

Queen Street Pharmacy is ready to meet all your prescription needs. Our fully qualified Pharmacists offer a friendly and professional service, and they look forward to serving you.

Delivery service

Queen Street Pharmacy has a medicine and product local delivery service available for those who are unable to come into the store. We offer this service for free on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Click the button below to be directed to the online order form.

Prescription subsidy & Co-Payment

Many medicines are subsidised by the Government. The prescription charge (co-payment) is a small contribution people pay towards the cost of the medicines they receive.

This charge is $5 for each new prescription item, or if you hold a community services card or are over 65 years, this $5 payment is waived.

New Zealanders can reduce their medicine costs through the prescription subsidy scheme.

  • The subsidy is aimed at reducing costs for families and people who are prescribed a lot of medicines.

    You become eligible for the subsidy once you have paid for 20 prescription items from 1 February each year. Once you're eligible, you do not have to pay any more co-payment prescription charges (however part charges may apply) for the rest of that year (to 31 January).

    You can reach the 20-item threshold by combining prescription items for your partner and dependent children aged from 14 up to 18.

    Just tell your regular pharmacist the names of all the people in your family to help them keep track of how many items you've paid for.

    This information is gathered electronically so you no longer need to keep your receipts.

    Please note, as there is no prescription charge on items for children aged 13 and under, these items cannot be counted as part of the 20-item threshold.

  • Talk to your pharmacist and make sure they have a record of the names and ages of all the people in your family.

    Your pharmacist will check the electronic records to see how many prescriptions you (and any eligible family members) have paid for since 1 February and if the total is 20 or more you’ll qualify for a prescription subsidy.

  • As not all medicines are funded, discuss any questions you have about prescription charges with your pharmacist.

Blister packs

At Queen Street Pharmacy we use a blister pack called Medico Pak. Each blister on a card is filled with the correct doses of your medications according to the time-of-day, the day-of-the-week and the date. It is very easy to use.

Could I benefit from using a blister pack?

Anyone may benefit from a blister pack, particularly if you have:

  • multiple (three or more) medications — possibly with long-term chronic condition(s) — with multiple dosing times (such as morning, noon and night, or any other time such as ‘bed’);

  • difficult or slowly reducing medication regimes;

  • difficulty opening medicine containers or bottles;

  • difficulty remembering to take your medications on time

or if you are:

  • on holiday, on a cruise, or on a trip away from home;

  • have a busy lifestyle or working so hard you don't have time to constantly organise your medications;

  • a parent of a child who medicates away from home;

  • involved with multiple caregivers;

  • a nurse or caregiver who needs a reliable medication system to give to your charge;

How to use your blister pack

To safely remove the medications in a single blister (one ‘dose’), simply tear along the perforations then peel off the backing starting from the marked corner.

Alternatively, we can provide free of charge a medico ‘popper’, a plastic triangle used to pierce the backing of the blister pack or use a blunt object like a teaspoon. Very little pressure is needed to break the seal. We also have Medico Blister Twisters available in-store.

Never push/pop the medications out through the backing of the Medico Pak. You could lose them, drop them on the floor, or even crush them accidentally.

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