Allied Health Professionals

Allied health professionals are qualified health practitioners with specialised expertise in preventing, diagnosing and treating a range of conditions and illnesses.

The allied health workforce is made up of health professionals who are not part of the medical, dental or nursing professions. There are at least 43 professions that are classed as Allied Health professions in New Zealand, including:

• Chiropractic
• Dental therapy/oral health therapy
• Dietetics
• Medical Laboratory Science/Anaesthetic Technology
• Occupational Therapy
• Optometry
• Osteopathy
• Paramedicine
• Pharmacy
• Physiotherapy
• Podiatry
• Psychology
• Psychotherapy

You can find more information about allied health services on HealthPoint.

Pharmacies

Pharmacies prepare and dispense medicines prescribed by your healthcare team. If you need prescription medicines, you will need to get them from a pharmacy with a prescription form. You can also speak to a pharmacist if you have any questions without being referred by your doctor.

Apart from dispensing medicines, pharmacies offer a range of services to keep you and your family well. Some pharmacies provide more services than others. For example, some pharmacies may offer services such as vaccinations and blood pressure checks. A pharmacist can also show you how to use devices such as asthma inhalers and diabetes blood test kits. If you are unsure whether your pharmacy provides these services, give them a call.

You can find a pharmacy near you on HealthPoint.

Dentistry

Dentists help keep your teeth and gums healthy, including check-ups, cleaning and treatment.

You can find a dentist on HealthPoint.