These researchers sought to determine differential dispensing of medicines by ethnicity in New Zealand, using anonymised prescription medicines dispensing claims data from the financial year 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007. In needs-adjusted analyses, prescription dispensing (script) rates overall for Māori were similar to those of non-Māori in a small number of areas that included substance use disorders, hepatitis B/C treatments and anti-rheumatoid agents. However, the data suggest important and potentially remediable differences that need to be addressed. Differences in dispensing included areas of high health need such as heart disease, infections, diabetes, mental health and respiratory disease, where dispensing was 19–37% lower overall for Māori than for non- Māori, with a net difference of nearly 1 million scripts. Importantly, Māori were both less likely to access medicines, and then after first dispensing had fewer subsequent scripts.
