The safety of malaria medicines may seem a distant concern to people in this part of the world, but not to Dr David Coulter, of Dunedin.
A possible change to funding medicines in the community is among several major issues Otago District Health Board will have to grapple with early this year.
No further Otago or Southland cases of a recent salmonella outbreak have been recorded since flour was identified as the possible source of the infection.
Parents of a Dunedin man who died after a methadone overdose would still like to see mandatory requirements for photograph identification of methadone patients in pharmacies.
Before the credit crunch, I had hoped my latest behavioural research might get off the ground in the New Year.
The Israeli air strikes on Gaza over the past few days were unavoidable, but their significance is not yet clear, Prof William Harris, of the University of Otago political studies department, says.
People wanting to work off Christmas excesses will be able to ramble over three walks on the Dunedin City Council's Harbour Cone property on Otago Peninsula.
It may be tradition to lick the spoon when baking, but health authorities are advising against it, particularly if you are not sure of the origin of your flour.
Most of the 68 submissions on shared health services for Otago and Southland favour the concept.
Most of the vaccinations against the human papillomavirus (HPV) in Otago next year are expected to be of year 8 and 9 pupils.
Otago and Southland district health boards chief executive Brian Rousseau had a salary increase last financial year of about $90,000 and a further undisclosed increase this year.
For the first time since its creation in 1995, Dunedin's School of Medicine has an identifiable administrative centre - in Dunedin Hospital.
It's official. It's not all white at Dunedin Hospital.
The year-old Southern Blood and Cancer Service gained the top award at the Otago District Health Board's annual quality improvement awards ceremony yesterday.
Health Minister Tony Ryall is seeking more information about audits and internal procedures at the Otago District Health Board during the six years it was defrauded of $16.9 million.
More than $40,000 is being sought from the national Community Biodiversity Fund for work on the Dunedin City Council's Harbour Cone block.
Christmas has come early for Orthotics Otago, but not all presents are useful.
The fate of the Otago and Southland district health boards' proposal to charge for laboratory tests ordered by private specialists is unclear, with the new Health Minister announcing a moratorium on the issue.
Another case of a rare type of salmonella has been identified in Otago and Southland this week, but health authorities have yet to establish the cause of the infection.
Since the Otago District Health Board approved its new fraud policy in April, some issues have been raised by staff through a special telephone line, regional chief financial officer Robert Mackway-Jones says.