Medicines

It's been decades in the making, but there will be major changes to the way we regulate medicines, medical devices and natural health products.  Audio

Using light to activate or deactivate drugs, photopharmacology, is a relatively new area of medicinal chemistry, with a key advantage being the high degree of control over the time and place where… Audio

Medicines New Zealand says a health ministry statement on Nine to Noon was the first it heard about the government's plans to bring together 'the key players in a coordinated approach' on a national… Audio

The development of generic drugs has been one of the most important developments for public health, making medicines cheaper and more accessible, especially in developing countries. But what are the… Audio

A recent academic study has found that media reports were the main cause of an increase in people experiencing adverse side effects following a Pharmac switch from a branded anti-depressant to a… Audio

There is research being done in New Zealand to create medicines that could reduce the need for surgery and improve treatments for diseases like cancer and depression.  Audio

Research has shown that throughout the world, the side effects of medications are significantly under reported. In New Zealand the monitoring system relies on voluntary reports by GPs or patients to… Audio

New research is painting a bleak picture of the problems Māori patients face in getting equitable access to medicines. Dr. Matire Harwood (Ngapuhi) is a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland's… Audio

Arlene McDowell is designing nanoparticles that will hold medication and deliver it exactly to its intended destination in the body. Audio

Now that oral contraceptives are set to be prescribed by pharmacists - what are the stumbling blocks for giving consumers easier access to other medicines? The Ministry of Health last week cleared the… Audio

What are the protections for people who sign up for clinical trials? Why don't people who take part in commercially funded trials have an automatic right to compensation? If we bring in more - what… Audio

Pharmacists are pushing for a national disposal system for unused drugs, as an unknown quantity are ending up in the bin and down the toilet. Audio