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Contact Details

Phone
+64 27 480 9595
Email
pauline.norris@otago.ac.nz
Position
Research Professor
Qualifications
BA MA(Canterbury) PhD(Victoria)
Research summary
Ethnic and other inequities in access to, and use of, medicines
Teaching
As a Research-only staff member, Pauline does not do any regular teaching
Memberships
Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand (HSRAANZ)

Research

My research focuses on access to, and use of, medicines. I am particularly interested in ethnic and other inequities and how to reduce these. I use both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

My current or recent projects include:

  • The 'FreeMeds' study: a randomised controlled trial of prescription charges. This showed that even small charges can lead to people going without medicines they need, resulting in higher rates of hospitalisation. This HRC-funded study informed the government's decision to eliminate prescription charges and was awarded the HSRAANZ (Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand) Impact award in 2023.
  • The 'Access to Medicines: Exploring Lived Experience' study, which explored access to medicines for Māori, Pacific, and former refugee households, and Pākehā households living in poverty. This study was funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand and led to another project on improving primary care for former refugees.
  • 'Producing 'facts': how are Big Data created?' is a Marsden-funded study on the social construction of data, examining two areas: child protection and the assessment of older people's needs. Although not about access to medicines, it continues my long-standing interest in data and its accuracy.

In 2024 I visited the University of Turku on a Visiting Fellowship with the INVEST group.

Additional details

Pauline is based at the Va’a o Tautai and is a research professor with particular expertise in social pharmacy including the access to and use of medicines. Her research interests include how lay people utilise medicines and barriers experienced by groups and populations in New Zealand and the Pacific. Her work and research have resulted in significant changes in government policies to support peoples access to affordable medicines.

Pauline is of NZ European descent.

Publications

Keddell, E., Colhoun, S., Norris, P., & Willing, E. (2025). ‘If you thought it was going to make a difference, you'd do it straight away’: School staff decisions to report to Child Protection. Child & Family Social Work. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/cfs.13285 Journal - Research Article

Norris, P., George, M., Symon, V., Keown, S., Bhawan, S., Richard, L., & Richards, R. (2025). Does access to medicines differ from access to healthcare? Experiences of barriers to medicines access by people facing social disadvantage. Research in Social & Administrative Pharmacy, 21(6), 480-486. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2025.02.010 Journal - Research Article

Norris, P., Keown, S., George, M., Symon, V., Richards, R., Bhawan, S., & Richard, L. (2025). Lived experience of affordability as a barrier to prescription medicines: A longitudinal qualitative study. Exploratory Research in Clinical & Social Pharmacy, 17, 100571. doi: 10.1016/j.rcsop.2025.100571 Journal - Research Article

Norris, P., George, M., Symon, V., Keown, S., Richard, L., Bhawan, S., & Richards, R. (2025). Why go back?: Advantages and challenges of longitudinal qualitative research in social pharmacy, and recommendations for social pharmacy researchers. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 33(1), 113-118. doi: 10.1093/ijpp/riae072 Journal - Research Article

Keddell, E., Colhoun, S., Norris, P., Willing, E., & Cormack, D. (2024). Where do big data come from? The social production of child protection ‘reports of concern’. Proceedings of the Sociological Association of Aotearoa New Zealand (SAANZ) Conference: The Sociology to Come. Retrieved from https://www.saanz.net/saanz2024/ Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

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