Lay summary
Māori do not experience the same benefits from medicines as non-Māori due to inequities in access to and the quality use of medicines. Pharmacists are the most commonly visited health professional in New Zealand (NZ) and can improve medicines access and adherence. This multi-phase study will identify and describe ethnic and regional variations in access to medicines used to treat minor ailments such as scabies, eczema, impetigo. 15 focus groups will be conducted with Māori across six NZ regions to understand Māori experiences and perceptions of access to medicines used to treat ‘minor ailments’ and identify how pharmacists can better support access to these medicines and support adherence more generally. Pharmacy and health-sector stakeholders will also be interviewed (informed by focus group findings). These areas are under-studied in NZ and findings will drive the development of real-world, pro-equity solutions to support the achievement of medicines access equity for Māori.