Medicines and older Māori — ‘It is through shared conversations that I understand’

This course, on medicines and older Māori, comprises four videos, an independent reflection exercise, and a list of extra resources. It also includes downloadable posters developed after discussions with kaumātua, which can be displayed in your workplace.

Watching the videos and completing the independent reflection qualifies as one hour of continuing professional development (CPD).

This material was produced by He Ako Hiringa with Joanna Hikaka (Ngāruahine), a pharmacist from the former Waitematā District Health Board, whose research as a PhD candidate formed the basis of this resource. Her research was made possible with funding from the Health Research Council.

Videos

The four videos are:

Video 1: Course introduction

This video outlines the course and what clinicians can expect from the videos and other resources.

Video 2: Ethnic variations in the quality use of medicines for older adults in Aotearoa

Video two looks at why extra care is needed with medicines use in older adults, how to measure the quality use of medicines, and what the New Zealand data shows us about inequities in medicines use in older adults.

Video 3: Medicines review services for older Māori

The third video in this course examines medicines review services, how these can improve the safe and effective use of medicines for older adults, and what inequities there are within these review services.

Video 4: Older Māori experiences of medicines and medicines-related services

In the last video, clinicians hear directly from kaumātua about their experiences of medicines and medicines-related services. These quotes will improve clinician awareness about the real-life impacts of inadequate prescribing on older Māori.

As one kaumātua so aptly stated: “No te whitiwhiti kōrero i mohio ai – It is through shared conversation that I understand.”

Video 4 also presents posters that have been developed from the experiences of older Māori. These are available in te reo Māori and English and can be displayed in your place of work.

Posters

These posters have been developed by Hikaka, in consultation with kaumātua, and are intended to encourage them and others to have discussions with clinicians about their medicines.

If you display these posters, the intention is that you are prepared to engage in any discussions they generate. Viewing the four videos in this course helps to give context to the posters.

Independent reflection

After watching the videos and exploring the additional resources (below) in this course, you can complete an independent reflection. This activity encourages you to set goals to improve your management of older Māori patients. You can claim continuing professional development points/hours for watching the four videos and completing the independent reflection.

We have provided example answers in some of the reflection activities to help you formulate your goals and actions. You should replace these examples with your own thoughts.

Additional resources

These additional resources include tools, articles and links that could help you to improve your treatment of older Māori.

Hikaka, J., Jones, R., Hughes, C., Connolly, M. J., & Martini, N. ( 2021). Ethnic Variations in the Quality Use of Medicines in Older Adults: Māori and Non-Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand. Drugs & Aging, 38(3), 205-217.
Māori experiences of healthcare – videos.
Tāhū Hauora, Health Quality & Safety Commission. Tools to guide which medicines should be considered for deprescribing. Updated April 2022.
Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand. Pharmacy Healthcare Services: Medicines Use Review.

Tags

Click to search for related articles: Māori health, CPD

Uncut – news briefs

10 Oct	Call to immunise now as New Zealand at high risk of whooping cough outbreak Pregnant people, babies, children and others at high risk from whooping cough are urged to get vaccinated as soon as possible, as Aotearoa New Zealand stands at high risk of an outbreak.
9 Oct	New pilot with Plunket to deliver childhood immunisations To increase access and boost immunisation rates, Health New Zealand \| Te Whatu Ora and Whānau Āwhina Plunket will pilot the delivery of childhood immunisations at a select number of sites across the country.
8 Oct	Health NZ Begins Development of National Perinatal Bereavement Care Pathway As Baby Loss Awareness Week shines a light on the heartbreak faced by many, Health NZ is taking a compassionate and hopeful step forward in transforming the support available for whānau who experience the loss of a baby.
7 Oct	Govt takes the scalpel to regional health budgets At Labour’s insistence, Te Whatu Ora financial documents have been released by the Health Select Committee today showing more cuts are on the way for our health system.
2 Oct	Orion Health and Streamliners form strategic partnership Orion Health, a global leader in digital health solutions, has announced a strategic partnership with Streamliners, creators of HealthPathways which provides an online manual used to assist with clinical assessments.
1 Oct	Rollout of new medicines across New Zealand begins Today marks the first day a range of new medicines, including cancer medicines, will start to become available in hospitals and health centres across the country.
27 Sept	New Dunedin hospital: Southerners deserve better The Government’s announcement today that it will scale back the new Dunedin hospital will negatively impact patient care, the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki O Aotearoa says.
26 Sept	Govt not addressing health workforce crisis The National Government is hiding the gaps in the health workforce from New Zealanders, by not producing a full workforce plan nearly a year into their tenure.
25 Sept	New programme offers step up for jobseekers seeking a career in health and wellbeing Local jobseekers have an exciting new opportunity to begin a career in Health following the launch of a new community-based kaiāwhina programme in the Hutt Valley.
23 Sept	Ministers oblivious to cuts’ effect on families The National Government is oblivious to the impact cuts to services will have on New Zealanders who are doing the hard yards caring for mentally ill family members.
19 Sept	Wānaka community to benefit from new overnight health service Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says an Overnight Acute Care Service opening in October will provide people in Wānaka and the surrounding area with the assurance of quality overnight care closer to home.
17 Sept	Dr Le Heron takes title of 2024 Alzheimers NZ Fellow Distinguished neurologist and cognitive neuroscientist, Dr Campbell Le Heron, has been made the 2024 Alzheimers NZ Fellow for his work researching and managing cognitive disorders.
11 Sept	Aged care will be worse off if redesign rushed New Zealanders needing aged care support and the people who care for them will be worse off if the Government pushes through a flawed and rushed redesign of dementia and aged care.
11 Sept	Govt takes action on mpox response, widens access to vaccine The Government is taking immediate action on a number of steps around New Zealand’s response to mpox, including improving access to vaccine availability so people who need it can do so more easily, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today.
10 Sept	ICN launches new position statement and discussion paper setting out a revolution in the delivery of Primary Health Care The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is launching its new position statement and a discussion paper on Primary Health Care (PHC) at its Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nursing Network (NP/APN Network) Conference in Aberdeen, Scotland.
9 Sept	First cancer medicine decision following Pharmac funding boost Pharmac has decided to widen access to two medicines for several types of cancer. Pembrolizumab (branded as Keytruda) will be funded from 1 October 2024 for eligible people with advanced triple-negative breast cancer, head and neck cancer, colorectal cancer, bladder cancer, and Hodgkin lymphoma. Nivolumab (branded as Opdivo) will be funded from 1 November for eligible people with kidney cancer.
6 Sept	Health agencies working with Police on rebalancing roles for mental health responses Health New Zealand \| Te Whatu Ora and the Ministry of Health - Manatū Hauora are working with Police to change some of the ways agencies respond to mental health. The change will see an increased health-led response, supporting Police to focus on core Policing.
4 Sept	Nurses’ bargaining starts with action for safe staffing Nurses are kicking off their collective bargaining with Te Whatu Ora by taking action for safe staffing on Friday, New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says.