ISPOR NZ webinar - Dr James Nind

Free Scripts, Real Choices: What Happens When Prescription Charges Disappear?

Wednesday 1 July 2026, 11am

We are delighted to welcome James Nind to present our next ISPOR NZ webinar on free prescriptions, pharmacy choice, and what these decisions can tell us about medicine access and policy design.

The webinar will be held on Zoom at 11am on Wednesday 1 July 2026.

To register, please complete the registration form.

Abstract

This talk, “Free Scripts, Real Choices: What Happens When Prescription Charges Disappear?”, will explore how people decide where to access their medicines, and how prescription co-payment policies can influence those decisions.

Drawing on research undertaken at the University of Otago, James will present a discrete choice experiment examining pharmacy choice in the context of free prescriptions and the removal of prescription charges. The talk will explore how these policy changes may influence where people choose to fill their prescriptions and the implications for medicine access. It will also outline key considerations in conducting this type of preference research, and demonstrate how combining preference evidence with real-world data can support decision-makers in assessing the practical impacts of policy changes on patients and communities.

About the Speaker

James Nind is a Health Economist whose research at the University of Otago centred on understanding how people choose pharmacies and the impact of that choice on their medicine use. His PhD developed a discrete choice experiment exploring the impact of prescription co-payment policies, integrating qualitative work, community perspectives, and whole-of-population cohort studies.

James later continued this research trajectory as a Research Fellow at Monash University’s Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, contributing to projects focused on medicine-use behaviour and primary-care decision-making. Drawing on his background as a pharmacist, James’ work emphasises generating preference evidence that reflects real-world experiences and supports practical decision-making in the health system.