Tairāwhiti Māori-Samoan Pharmacy Takes Top Honours at 2026 Primary Healthcare Awards

A Tairāwhiti pharmacy has been named the overall winner of the prestigious ProPharma Supreme Award at the 2026 New Zealand Primary Healthcare Awards | He Tohu Mauri Ora. Horouta Pharmacy, based in Gisborne, was celebrated on Saturday night at Auckland’s Viaduct Events Centre for its extraordinary commitment to patient care and community service. Founded in 2019 by Kevin Pewhairangi and pharmacist prescriber Kasey Brown, Horouta Pharmacy holds the distinction of being Aotearoa’s first Māori and Samoan-owned pharmacy. The Waatea News report notes that the founders were inspired by the late Paratene Ngata to return to their home region to care for their people. Alongside the supreme title, the 12-member team also secured the Community Pharmacy of the Year award. The judges specifically highlighted the pharmacy’s innovative response to severe weather emergencies, including Cyclone Gabrielle. When flooding and road closures isolated East Coast communities, Horouta Pharmacy utilised helicopters, couriers, and rural depots to ensure essential medicines reached whānau. When the Hicks Bay depot was closed by flooding, the team quickly deployed a modified shipping container and mobile trailer to restore services within days. The awards also celebrated significant leadership within marae-based health services. Tony Kake CNZM, of Papakura Marae, received the Outstanding Contribution to Health Award. Under his guidance, the marae has grown to support approximately 90 staff delivering 45 different services, ranging from primary healthcare to social housing. The judges noted Kake’s role in establishing kaumātua whare and programmes for long-term health management. Further success for Papakura Marae came with Barbara Betham being named Practice Manager or Administrator of the Year. Betham was recognised for over a decade of leadership, including her coordination of Korowai Aroha, an initiative that bridges marae-based care with hospice services to support whānau from diagnosis through to bereavement.