Countdown's two Tauranga in-store pharmacies are offering free prescriptions, in a move expected to save local customers more than $85,000 a year.

Countdown's Head Pharmacist Jeremy Armes says making healthcare more affordable and accessible is a key reason Countdown Pharmacy was established, and introducing free prescriptions in Tauranga is a logical next step.

'We are committed to making healthcare more affordable for Kiwis, and providing free prescriptions is another way we can continue to help make that happen. We've trialled free pharmacy prescriptions in our Auckland stores and the feedback was extremely positive.

'We're pleased to now be able to extend this offer to more of our Countdown pharmacies, including here in Tauranga,” says Jeremy.

'Our in-store pharmacist expertise will continue to focus on patient care, while at the same time providing customers with lower prices and free prescriptions for their pharmacy needs.”

Countdown has 30 in-store pharmacies across New Zealand, which were first opened in 2012 to provide customers with convenient pharmacy trading hours and locations, competitively priced products and access to a qualified pharmacist for prescriptions and pharmacy only medicines.

Jeremy says the new promotion offers convenience and value to customers, which is what the Countdown pharmacies are all about.

'Having a pharmacy in a supermarket is convenient as people often go to the supermarket every week or every couple of times a week, and offering value is something we've been open to do.

'We've been able to offer it out to most of the Countdown locations we operate our pharmacies in.”

Jeremy says the free prescription offer is mutually beneficial for both pharmacist and patients.

'Rather than picking and choosing what they can pick up, it leaves more money in people's pockets to do other things with, and we are fortunate we have a business model that enables us to do it and leave a positive effect on people's lives.

'Our pharmacists who work for us, they like it, it's a potential problem for them to decide with the patients which medicines they should pick up today and which they need to leave for another time, just because money is tight.

'Our customers love it and our team have been really supportive as well."

For customers, standard prescriptions are now free at Countdown pharmacies because they are not collecting any standard patient co-payment fee.

The two Countdown in-store pharmacies offering the free prescriptions are Countdown Fraser Cove and Countdown Bayfair.