Pharmacists are calling for more support amid workloads and pressures described as "very dire".
It comes as the Pharmacy Council, the sector’s regulator, reported a doubling of concerns raised over the past eight years.
Clive Cannons, a pharmacist of 40 years, said the number of prescriptions, and the extra services expected of pharmacists "just exploded" after the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said his Wainuiomata pharmacy Clive’s Chemist deals with a thousand prescriptions on a busy day.
"This is absolutely the worst I’ve seen it, and the morale is low because no one can see any hope on the horizon," he said.
"There's a lot of interruptions during the day and the pressure just mounts and mounts and mounts and mounts.
"Combined with the workforce issues that we're facing, some days it's just a perfect storm."
It’s a view backed up by the wider sector, with a workforce survey conducted by the Pharmaceutical Society last year reporting widespread staff shortages, and two-thirds of community pharmacists said their work negatively impacted their mental health.
It also found an 80% increase in patients unable to see a GP.
Pharmaceutical Society president Michael Hammond said not much has changed since the survey was released last year, and more help’s needed from the Government to support pharmacies.
While pharmacies make money from selling non-pharmaceutical items, its main funding comes from filling prescriptions.
"We need to look at if we could fund pharmacy in a different way," Hammond said.
"We do need an appropriate level of remuneration, but there’s an opportunity to look at how we fund pharmacy so that we can really maximise the clinical value they bring to the table."
Health Minister Simeon Brown said conversations with pharmacists were ongoing.
"There’s a lot of work underway right now, looking both at funding but also looking at what other opportunities exist in terms of enabling pharmacies in the community," Brown said.
Increase in concerns raised with Pharmacy Council
Last year 215 "complaints, notifications and enquiries" were received by the Pharmacy Council – nearly double the 107 recorded in 2016.
These could range from more minor complaints about wait times, to serious safety concerns.
Pharmacy Council chief executive Michael Pead said last year about 30 cases were considered serious.
"A relatively small number, relatively small for 4000 practising pharmacists that are doing lots of great work for the dispensing of millions of prescriptions annually," Pead said.
One case currently being investigated by the council is the death of Bellamere Duncan in July.
Her parents said they were told by medical staff the wrong dosage had been given by the pharmacy.
Health New Zealand and the Ministry of Health are also conducting a joint investigation into what occurred.
Ballamere’s mother has told 1News she hoped her daughter’s death would spark change in the pharmacy sector.
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