Unichem Wellington Central Pharmacy is a community pharmacy at 204 Lambton Quay, Wellington Central, offering advice and treatment for common minor illnesses for all ages, alongside prescription dispensing and a range of walk-in health services. Most services are provided free of charge and generally don't require an appointment, with the pharmacy team available to answer questions directly.
The pharmacy runs a walk-in vaccination service, usually finishing walk-in vaccinations by 4:30pm on weekdays, with vaccinating starting 30 minutes after opening and stopping an hour before closing each day. Vaccinations offered include meningococcal, MMR, diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis, adult flu, pregnancy vaccinations, 65-year-old vaccinations, shingles, privately funded vaccinations, workplace flu vaccinations, and COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters.
Beyond vaccinations, trained pharmacists at this location can supply the emergency contraceptive pill, selected oral contraceptives without a prescription under certain circumstances, sildenafil for erectile dysfunction in men aged 35–70 who meet assessment criteria, and antibiotics for urinary tract infections in women aged 16–65 without a GP visit in many cases. The pharmacy also supports people managing long-term conditions with coordinated prescriptions and reminder services, offers medicines compliance packaging, and provides stop-smoking advice and support aids.
Unichem Wellington Central Pharmacy, at 204 Lambton Quay, is set up to support the health of families across all ages without the need to always book ahead. The pharmacy describes its role as helping people understand their medicines — what they're prescribed for, how to take them, possible side effects, and how to store them — with advice and treatment for common minor illnesses handled professionally and confidentially. Most services are provided free of charge and generally don't require an appointment, and the team is happy to be contacted directly with questions.
Walk-in vaccinations are a core part of the service, usually finishing by 4:30pm on weekdays, though wait times can vary throughout the day without a clear pattern. Vaccinating starts 30 minutes after the pharmacy opens and stops an hour before closing each day. The pharmacy covers a broad range of immunisations: meningococcal, MMR (measles/mumps/rubella), diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis (whooping cough), adult flu, pregnancy vaccinations, 65-year-old vaccinations, shingles, privately funded vaccinations, workplace flu vaccinations, and COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters. Bookings can also be made online for vaccinations through bookmyvaccine.health.nz or directly through the pharmacy's own booking page.
From 1 July 2024, funded medicine prescriptions carry a $5 charge, with non-funded medicines incurring additional charges. Prescriptions remain free for people aged 13 or under, those aged 65 and over, anyone with a Community Services Card (CSC) and their dependent children aged 14–17, and holders of a Prescription Subsidy Card (PSC). For more detail on how prescription costs work, the pharmacy points patients to the Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora website.
Trained pharmacists at this location offer several services that go beyond standard dispensing. The emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) is assessed and supplied confidentially, working best when taken as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse, and up to 72 hours after — usually at a charge, though some pharmacies offer it fully funded for eligible people. Selected oral contraceptives can also be supplied without a new prescription for up to six months, for women who've previously been prescribed the same contraceptive within the last three years and have no new risk factors, with a charge applying for both the medicine and the consultation.
For men aged 35 to 70 who meet specific assessment criteria, the pharmacy can prescribe sildenafil (sold as Viagra, Vedafil, or Silvasta) for erectile dysfunction. Women aged 16 to 65 without complicating factors can also be supplied nitrofurantoin or trimethoprim for urinary tract infections without needing to see a GP first, following a pharmacist consultation, with a referral to a GP if required.
For people managing long-term conditions, the pharmacy offers a coordination service that lines up prescription repeats so they can all be collected in a single trip, along with reminder services via text, email, or phone call when a new supply is ready. Compliance packaging — blister packs or sachet rolls organised by day and time — is also available on a weekly or monthly basis, useful for anyone who finds it hard to keep track of doses, or who's travelling and wants to avoid carrying multiple pill containers. Medication reports covering costs or medicine details are also available on request.
Unichem Wellington Central Pharmacy is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:30pm, and closed on public holidays including Waitangi Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Monday, ANZAC Day (observed), King's Birthday, Matariki, Labour Day, and Wellington Anniversary Day. The pharmacy can be reached by phone, fax, or email, with online booking available for both general appointments and vaccinations.