The Government's Budget initiative to drop $5 prescription fees has appeared to go down well for members of the public that 1News has spoken to.
1News spoke to pharmacy customers in Pakuranga after the change was announced.
"To us, it's a loaf of bread," one mum said. "We've got a three-year-old at home, so we require medicines for her sometimes.
"It counts for a lot more than what people might think."
Others said that prescription bills quickly added up when they were on multiple medications. A father said it would mean "one less thing to worry about" and more money to spend on petrol instead.
"I'm an asthmatic, and I'm in every three months for inhalers. That's an easy 20 bucks a month for me, so it adds up in the end. I think that's a good thing that they wipe the levy off. It's just one less thing to worry about — extra money for petrol."
Another member of the public opined that people who believed the change was unnecessary probably didn't understand the needs of those who couldn't.
"There are far more people who are having trouble feeding their kids," she said.
"I'm happy to pay more tax so that everybody can have that. I'm lucky I can afford it. Even $5 is helping someone that's having trouble putting food on the table."
Pharmacist Vicky Chan told 1News that the change would make a big difference for some of her customers.
"We really want to congratulate the Government on this fantastic move, because I think the impact is going to be huge in terms of more positive outcomes," she said.
Chan was part of an advocacy campaign earlier this month for the Government to remove the co-payment fee. She said the change would make it easier for pharmacists to talk to patients about their health, not money — alongside improved health incomes.
The change was also welcomed by GP advocacy groups. However, they also used it to also call for more accessible visits for patients and more funding for the sector.
General Practice NZ chair Dr Bryan Betty said general practice and primary care providers needed more focus.
A group of pharmacists say the fee is preventing some people from picking up the medication they need. (Source: Breakfast)
"It’s great to see many prescriptions becoming free, but that is little help if access to your GP for your prescription isn’t first addressed."
Meanwhile, ACT leader David Seymour said the change would quickly get "eaten up" by inflation as a result of the new spending.
"We can understand why Labour would like to get rid of prescription charges and let kids ride public transport for free, but all of that is going to be eaten up by inflation driven by out-of-control government spending."
The removal of fees would cost around $619 million over four years.
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