Over the last 12 months the ICPG has focused on legal action and regulatory precedent around Countdown/Woolworths pharmacies, submissions on ownership and co-payment policy, and direct engagement with Health NZ’s ICPSA and funding processes. Collectively, those activities have shifted how corporate pharmacy structures are regulated, kept pharmacist‑ownership protections on the table, and ensured independent owners’ concerns are visible in national contract and funding reviews.
Legal and regulatory actions
Continued the judicial review proceedings targeting DHB/Te Whatu Ora decisions to contract with Countdown‑linked pharmacies in Gisborne and Wainuiomata, arguing those decisions and the co‑payment waiver model were unlawful and inequitable.
Drove follow‑on impacts from the High Court ruling that several Countdown pharmacies were operating illegally under Medicines Act ownership rules, leading to Woolworths restructuring its corporate pharmacy arrangements.
Policy submissions and position papers
Maintained a clear position against pharmacy ownership deregulation, emphasising the need to retain majority pharmacist ownership and “effective control” to protect care quality and local accountability.
Used ownership and co‑payment position papers and select committee submissions to argue that corporate discount models can undermine equity and local service development, and to push for closer work with Māori, pharmacies and communities on any changes.
Engagement with Health NZ and ICPSA
Participated in the national ICPSA review and related Health NZ forums where modelling of pharmacy funding and co‑payment impacts was being tested, challenging aspects of Health NZ’s equity and cost‑pressure modelling as inadequate from an independent‑owner perspective.
Advocated for more robust monitoring of ICPSA performance and for commissioning decisions that recognise the wider medicines‑use and community support functions of independent pharmacies beyond simple dispensing.
Role within the wider sector
Continued to operate as an incorporated society of independent owners, offering anonymous membership and pooled funding for litigation and policy work, distinct from commercial groups and employer bodies.
Functioned as the independent‑owner counterweight in debates dominated by Health NZ and the Pharmacy Guild, ensuring independent views are on the record in court decisions, select committee processes, and ICPSA funding discussions.
Practical outcomes for independent owners
Forced clarification of how Medicines Act ownership rules and “effective control” tests apply to supermarket‑linked pharmacies, constraining aggressive corporate structures and signalling regulatory risk for similar models.
Elevated independent pharmacy concerns about co‑payment discounting, equity, and sustainable ICPSA funding into national decision‑making channels, laying groundwork for future contract and funding gains that better reflect independent community pharmacy roles.
