He kōrero nā ngā tauira , Tess James's student essay
How can the pharmacy profession contribute to reducing Māori health disparities?
Two key areas I would like to see the pharmacy profession contribute to improving Māori health outcomes are in my opinion very achievable.
The sector can positively impact by working to encourage access to the service, part of which is by providing a customer 'whānau Māori' friendly environment. There are many barriers whānau Māori see each and every time they enter or need to access professional pharmacy services. Similar to how young people view an experience, if the first experience is a negative one then they are unlikely to return. This is an area that if improved can make a huge difference.
In my view pharmacy as a primary health profession plays an important role in the Māori community. Historically pharmaceuticals have had an impact within te ao Māori, at times helping to complement traditional medicines and practices. The retention of the teachings of rongoā and traditional medicines is still very much an important part within Māoridom. It is, however, widely acknowledged that rongoā Māori no longer stands alone in providing treatment for many of the ailments that affect high numbers of people today, with Māori as a group consistently over represented in every area.
Through many discussions I have had with whānau, both young and old, it is clear that some visit their local pharmacist to seek free professional advice and often avoid general practitioners due to the cost involved. It is important for pharmacists to build good relationships with the community they work in. Māori communities operate in a different manner to the mainstream community and therefore have different, not adversely different, but different needs all the same. Whānau Māori will return to a service they are familiar with and have received a clear and non-judgmental service from.
Programmes like Medicines Use Reviews and the prospect of pharmacists prescribing becoming a more integral part of the pharmacy profession in the community will provide new avenues. The perfect opportunity is to provide Māori patients whose lack of compliance and adherence to medication is significant with services appropriate to Māori. Backed by free services with the appropriate resources, we are able to offer a wide range of assistance that requires little effort but a willingness from our patients to participate.
The profession I work in has the potential to benefit the Māori community and involve patients’ whānau to encourage adherence to medical treatment and the education of treatments to Māori and their wider whānau. We have the tools to offer patients and the best opportunities possible from funding to help reduce costs to the patients through the professional advice we are trained to provide. We are able to work as negotiators between doctors and patients in the hope that a successful treatment regimen will be created. Providing a positive experience from the outset will contribute to improving Māori health disparities.
As a Māori pharmacist with whakapapa to Ngāti Porou and having spent a lot of time with the whānau, hapu and iwi of Taranaki, I intend to work to provide a service not only friendly to the needs of Māori but to all New Zealanders, but because of my own heritage offer my knowledge and expertise to work well with Māori clients.
