Pharmacist prescribers Linda Bryant and Leanne Te Karu discuss positive polypharmacy for heart failure. Current evidence shows the intensive implementation of four medications offers the greatest benefit to most patients with heart failure, with significant reductions in cardiovascular mortality, heart failure hospitalisations and all-cause mortality
Joylessness: Bring back joy!

In these complex times of resource constraints, high workloads and burnout, having joy in your work can build hope, empathy, resilience and optimism. It can fuel the energy you need to get through each day and help build your compassion, which in turn benefits your patients. In this article, specialist GP Jo Scott-Jones shares his findings on what brings joy to GPs, with the hope that you too will search out joy and build it up in the team you work with
1. Macrotrends. New Zealand Life Expectancy 1950-2024.
2. Murton S. GP Future Workforce Requirements Report highlights. RNZCGP, 25 March 2022.
3. Te Whatu Ora. Enrolment with a general practice and primary health organisation. 15 October 2024.
4. Ministry of Health. New Zealand Health Survey. Annual Data Explorer. December 2023.
5. Health New Zealand. Immunisation coverage. 27 September 2024.
6. Beehive.govt.nz. Strong uptake for cervical screening self-test. 10 September 2024.
7. Trzeciak S, Roberts BW, Mazzarelli AJ. Compassionomics: Hypothesis and experimental approach. Med Hypotheses 2017;107:92–97.
8. Hojat M, Louis DZ, Markham FW, et al. Physicians’ empathy and clinical outcomes for diabetic patients. Acad Med 2011;86(3):359–64.
9. Del Canale S, Louis DZ, Maio V, et al. The relationship between physician empathy and disease complications: an empirical study of primary care physicians and their diabetic patients in Parma, Italy. Acad Med 2012;87(9):1243–49.
10. Rakel D, Barrett B, Zhang Z, et al. Perception of empathy in the therapeutic encounter: effects on the common cold. Patient Educ Couns 2011;85(3):390–97.
11. Egbert LD, Battit GE, Welch CE, Bartlett MK. Reduction of postoperative pain by encouragement and instruction of patients. A study of doctor-patient rapport. N Engl J Med 1964;270:825–27.
12. Derksen F, Bensing J, Lagro-Janssen A. Effectiveness of empathy in general practice: a systematic review. Br J Gen Pract 2013;63(606):e76–84.
13. Dr Phil Hammond. CLANGERS for all, every day. 18 September 2018.
14. Neighbour R. The Inner Consultation: How to develop an effective and intuitive consulting style, second edition.
15. Lacey C, Huria T, Beckert L, et al. The Hui Process: a framework to enhance the doctor-patient relationship with Māori. N Z Med J 2011;124(1347):72–78.
16. Scott-Jones J. Case report: self-administered cattle selenium supplement. New Zealand Family Physician 2003;30(6):436–37.
17. Hoedebecke K, Scott-Jones J, Pinho-Costa L. New Zealand among global social media initiative leaders for primary care advocacy. J Prim Health Care 2016;8(2):94–98.