By Colm Maguire, Chief Operating Officer
The pharmacy sector has made great progress in the past few weeks on our journey to pharmacists working to their full scope of practice.
The biggest announcement was in Queensland, where the scope of practice pilot in the state’s far north will now be adopted statewide.
This is a major development for our profession and will see parts of Australia catching up to other advanced economies around the world in allowing pharmacists to treat patients suffering common everyday conditions.
Queensland has pioneered the way for other states and territories looking at innovative ways to address the growing health challenges across the nation.
The sunshine state had already permanently implemented the practice of pharmacists being able to prescribe for women suffering uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections (UTI).
Soon Queensland will become the state to enable pharmacists to treat the greatest number of common ailments including:
- Wound management
- Nausea and vomiting
- Some chronic diseases
- Swimmer’s ear
- Some skin conditions.
This is not a plan for pharmacists to replace existing services by our fellow allied health professionals.
Rather it is designed to supplement primary health care services to take pressure off our stretched health system and free up GP appointments, Emergency Departments and ambulances.
South of the border in New South Wales there was also a significant announcement for pharmacists.
It enables women to access resupplies of oral contraceptives as part of a statewide trial of pharmacists prescribing.
In announcing the expansion of the trial, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said, “This initiative is not only making it easier for people to access medicines, it is also alleviating pressure on our GPs and primary care services.”
To ensure the trial is safe, it is being led by the University of Newcastle which is working with a team of health professionals including GPs, clinicians, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives.
Meanwhile in South Australia, the state’s Health Minister Chris Picton is in receipt of a parliamentary committee report recommending pharmacists adopt the Queensland model.
This would enable pharmacists to prescribe antibiotics to women with uncomplicated UTIs.
With so many trials having either been conducted or underway, there is speculation Minister Picton may move to implement the practice without a trial there.
While each state and territory are at different stages when it comes to scope of practice, the hope is that we will soon end up with a uniformed model nationwide.
That will mean that ALL Australians will have easier access to a first world health care system.
