Consumer member Treena recently went to get a prescription filled and was annoyed when the pharmacist wanted to charge her an extra $1 “intervention fee”.

The pharmacist said the charge was because Treena’s doctor had prescribed a brand of penicillin that’s no longer subsidised. He could swap it for one that was, but he’d charge her an extra $1 for this “service”.

What really annoyed Treena was that the pharmacist wanted to charge her even though the doctor had written on the script “subsidised medications acceptable”. She’s not the only person who’s contacted us about these so-called intervention fees, which range up to several dollars in some cases – almost as much as the cost of the prescription. Not all pharmacies charge the fees but it appears many do.

Fees for service

Pharmacies are allowed to charge for services that aren’t covered by the dispensing fee they get from the government. These services might include delivering medicines to your home, opening after hours or providing special packaging (such as blister packs).

But we think there shouldn’t be a fee for the “service” Treena’s pharmacist offered. The subsidised medicines list is updated regularly; part of the job of being a pharmacist (or a doctor) is to keep up-to-date with these changes to ensure patients entitled to subsidised medicines get them. In our view, calling this an “extra service” and charging for it is not on.

What should you pay?

Anyone who is eligible for publicly funded health and disability services should usually pay only $3 for subsidised medicines. All New Zealand citizens are eligible for these services. Any extra charges must be explained to you by the pharmacist before your prescription is dispensed.

If you don’t want to pay intervention fees, find a pharmacist who doesn’t charge them. You can also make a complaint to your district health board if you think a charge is unfair.

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