From 1st February 2026, prescribing laws have changed, allowing for prescriptions to be written for up to a 12 month supply. Your eligibility and the actual duration of the script will depend on your individual condition, medication and safety considerations. Additionally, your doctor can only provide you with a 12-month prescription during a face-to-face appointment and this will require an annual review. It is recommended that you book a 30 minute appointment for annual review if you have anything else to discuss.

Here is a summary of how this will look at Hobsonville Family Doctors:

• Scripts requested via the portal / phone / email will be for 3 months.

• All prescriptions for longer than 3 months will require a GP consultation.

• If you have been stable on your medications for a long time, and your medical conditions are stable, we are more likely to be able to provide longer prescriptions for up to 6 months at a time.

• In general, we will only be doing 12 month prescriptions for low risk medications, for example - antihistamines, hair loss medications, oral contraceptive pills, etc.

Also worth noting:

• There is no change to pharmacy dispensings - the maximum supply you can get at a time will be be 3 months (or 1 month for controlled drugs)

• There are also no change to controlled drug prescriptions - e.g. painkillers like codeine and tramadol can only be prescribed for a maximum of one month at a time

• Repeat prescriptions can only be dispensed from the pharmacy they were initially collected from - so if you need to change pharmacies, you will need to arrange for a new prescription

Missing a booked appointment means that other patients miss out accessing limited appointments. 

If you do not attend an appointment, or give us less than 24 hours notice, a normal consultation fee will be charged. 

For children (under 14), the missed appointment fee is $15.00 

You can request repeats of your regular medications by calling or leaving a voicemail message with our nursing team, which are usually ready in 48 hours.

Urgent prescriptions are usually ready in 24 hours. If we have any queries about your script, we will call you back. 

Please note that all repeat script requests will only be done at the prescribing Doctor's discretion. 

Some types of services (e.g. Driver's Licences, Diving Medicals, Employment Medicals) may be charged at a higher rate as we do not receive Ministry of Health funding for this, and may require extra time for paperwork and form completion. Please let our receptionist know at the time of booking.

Payment is required at the time of consultation. Late payments will incur extra charges. We accept cheque, EFTPOS, Visa and Mastercard (please note that credit card payments have a 1% surcharge). We do not accept cash.

We also accept online banking transfers. Our account number is: 12-3252-0058771-00. Please use your name as the reference.

It has been widely publicised that New Zealand currently has a shortage of healthcare workers.

Our practice has also been affected as doctors and nurses have relocated outside Auckland and on some occasions, New Zealand. This has left us with staffing shortages and recruitment for new doctors is ongoing. 

Please be aware that same day appointments may not be possible due to reduced availability.

We ask that you treat our remaining staff with kindness and respect.

Dr Desh Nissanka is currently taking new patients.

At your first appointment, please bring your passport (+/- relevant visas) or birth certificate to confirm your eligibility for healthcare in NZ.  

We will then request for your notes to be transferred through to us (which we usually receive within two weeks). 

We charge $120 for first appointments for adults, and $92 for children (under 18). This is so we can get to know you properly, and take a detailed medical history, to give you the best possible service. 

It also helps us cover costs for administrative time spent for the doctor to review your past records and make sure we have all of your health information correct. 

Some other services may be able to be provided free of charge, through funding from our PHO or the Ministry of Health. This may include:

• Free Annual Review for patients with Diabetes

• Sexual Health Consultations for some patients 22 and under (including STI checks, contraception and the morning after pill)

• Free Annual Flu Vaccines for eligible patients

• Extended consults for acute mental health issues, and ongoing funded follow up visits

• Maternity care (first trimester only). Second trimester, third trimester and post natal care attract normal consultation fees.

Southern Cross Health Society Easy-claim (“Easy-claim”) is a convenient way for Southern Cross members to claim for eligible healthcare services at the time of purchase, without completing a claim form. 

Simply present your Member card at the counter when you are purchasing eligible healthcare products and services. If your plan covers the product or service and it qualifies, they will reimburse us directly.

If you have any questions or would like further information on Easy-claim call Southern Cross on 0800 800 181 (Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm).

This includes medications such as opiates (morphine, oxycodone, codeine, tramadol, fentanyl), benzodiazepines (lorazepam, diazepam etc), and sedatives (zopiclone etc).

The following rules will apply to all prescriptions for these medications, regardless of another doctor has prescribed them in the past.

1. We do not prescribe controlled drugs to new patients unless there is supporting verifiable evidence that it is for a valid medical indication, but we reserve the right to not prescribe them. This is regardless of whether another doctor has prescribed these.

2. If we suspect you are drug seeking we will investigate further and will contact the appropriate authorities. As general practitioners we are not legally able to prescribe drugs of abuse to patients who we suspect have an addiction to such drugs (opioids and benzodiazepines).

3. We do not replace lost medications. Please keep your meds in a locked cashbox, locked safe, and away from water.

4. If you obtain extra doses from another doctor without our approval, we will cease prescribing these medications.

5. We prescribe only the amount that is safe and appropriate for you. If you take extra doses, we will not give you your next prescription early.

6. If we consider that you are addicted to any of these medications, we will work with you to transition to medication where we can wean you off safely, or refer you to CADS. This service offers a very skilled and comprehensive service to those who are addicted to controlled drugs.

7. We are not able to prescribe these if there is money owing on your account.

The relevant acts are the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 and Medicines Act 1981.

We are obligated to following the Medical Council on good prescribing practice - “You should only prescribe medicines or treatment when you have adequately assessed the patient’s condition, and/or have adequate knowledge of the patient’s condition and are therefore satisfied that the medicines or treatment are in the patient’s best interests. Medicines or treatment must not be prescribed for your own convenience or simply because patients demand them“.

Your privacy and confidentiality will be fully respected. This fact sheet sets out why we collect your information and how that information will be used.

Why do we collect your information?

We collect your health information to provide a record of care. This helps you receive quality treatment and care when you need it.

We also collect your health information to help:

• Keep you and others safe

• Plan and fund health services

• Carry out authorised research

• Train healthcare professionals

• Prepare and publish statistics

• Improve government services

• Population health and quality improvement

• Sending reminders or recalls as appropriate.

Confidentiality and information sharing

• Your privacy and the confidentiality of your information is really important to us.

• Your health practitioner will record relevant information from your consultation in your notes.

• Your health information will be shared with others involved in your healthcare and with other agencies with your consent, or if authorised by law.

• You don’t have to share your health information, however, withholding it may affect the quality of care you receive. Talk to your health practitioner if you have any concerns.

• You have the right to know where your information is kept, who has access rights, and, if the system has audit log capability, who has viewed or updated your information.

• Your information will be kept securely to prevent unauthorised access.

Information quality

We’re required to keep your information accurate, up-to-date and relevant for your treatment and care.

Your right to access and correct

You have the right to access and correct your health information.

• You have the right to see and request a copy of your health information. You don’t have to explain why you are requesting that information, but may be required to provide proof of your identity. If you request a second copy of that information within 12 months, you may have to pay an administration fee

• You can ask for health information about you to be corrected. Practice staff should provide you with reasonable assistance. If your healthcare provider chooses not to change that information, you can have this noted on your file.

Many practices now offer a patient portal, which allows you to view some of your practice health records online. Ask your practice if they’re offering a portal so you can register.

How your health information is used

Examples of how your health information is used is outlined below:

If your practice is contracted to a Primary Health Organisation (PHO), the PHO may use your information for clinical and administrative purposes including obtaining subsidised funding for you.

• Some health information we collect and generate is stored electronically by cloud service providers located in Australia. This information may also be processed (but not stored) by these providers in other countries. The information is encrypted at all times and these providers comply with internationally recognised security standards

• Health New Zealand (Te Whatu Ora) uses your information to provide treatment and care, and to improve the quality of its services

• A clinical audit may be conducted by a qualified health practitioner to review the quality of services provided to you. They may also view health records if the audit involves checking on health matters

• When you choose to register in a health programme (eg immunisation or breast screening), relevant information may be shared with other health agencies

• The Ministry of Health uses your demographic information to assign a unique number to you
  on the National Health Index (NHI). This NHI number will help identify you when you use
  health services

• The Ministry of Health holds health information to measure how well health services are delivered and to plan and fund future health services. Auditors may occasionally conduct financial audits of your health practitioner. The auditors may review your records and may contact you to check that you received those services

• Notification of births and deaths to the Births, Deaths and Marriages register may be performed electronically to streamline a person’s interactions with government.

Update to Privacy Act (IPP3A) effective 1 May 2026*

One of the important changes in the Privacy Amendment Act 2025 is the addition of Principle (IPP)3A. This requires that when personal information is collected indirectly from someone other than the person themselves, then the agency (e.g. general practice) is required to notify those people that information has been received. This is not required when the person is already aware or has been informed that the information will be sent to the practice.

Examples of personal information that is received indirectly in the practice:

• Laboratory results

• Radiology reports

• Immunisation vaccinations

• Screening results e.g. cervical screening, mammography, bowel screening

• Shared care records

• Hospital discharge summaries.

This is an interim communication and will be updated upon receipt of further guidance from Health New Zealand and/or the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.

Research

Your health information may be used in research approved by an ethics committee or when it has had identifying details removed.

• Research which may directly or indirectly identify you can only be published if the researcher has previously obtained your consent and the study has received ethics approval

• Under the law, you are not required to give consent to the use of your health information if it’s for unpublished research or statistical purposes, or if it’s published in a way that doesn’t identify you.

Complaints

It’s OK to complain if you’re not happy with the way your health information is collected or used.

Talk to your healthcare provider in the first instance. If you are still unhappy with the response you can call the Office of the Privacy Commissioner toll-free on 0800 803 909, as they can investigate this further.

For further information

Further detail in regard to the matters discussed in this fact sheet can be
found on the Health New Zealand / Te Whatu Ora website at https://info.health.nz/privacy/privacy-statement.