Ms Heatly, addressing this week's board meeting in Dunedin, said the DHB was aiming for 100% of pharmacists signed by the deadline of July 23.
She said the new agreement, which took effect this month, was problematic for rural pharmacies, because of the change in funding model.
The new national pharmacy contract has shifted from a simple payment-for-dispensing model, to one based on patient management.
Ms Heatly said there was flexibility to increase payments for rural pharmacies, to ensure they were viable.
Board member Neville Cook said he believed Te Anau was at risk of losing its only pharmacy because of a refusal to sign the contract.
However, when contacted by the Otago Daily Times, Fiordland Community Pharmacy owner George Batchelor said he planned to sign, "under duress".
He had a duty to provide the service to his community, but was not happy about the situation.
The DHB had not put sufficient resources into the negotiating process, with "one poor lady" seeming to be the only point of contact.
However, at yesterday's meeting, Ms Heatly advised board members the DHB was "bending over backwards" to successfully negotiate contracts and deal with pharmacists' concerns. The DHB was "spending lots of time" on the matter, she said.
Like any national contract, there were "winners and losers".
If a pharmacy did not sign, it could dispense without subsidies, which risked the health of "vulnerable" patients who might need to be assisted, Ms Heatly said.
Another option could be a "pharmacy van".
Crown monitor Stuart McLauchlan, who is also chairman of Pharmac, told board members the new national contract was being introduced to combat an 8% annual prescribing increase.
