Community pharmacies in Australia, led by those in Queensland and Victoria, have been achieving significant milestones by expanding their scope of practice.
In Queensland, a successful UTI pilot treated over 10,000 women between June 2020 and July 2022. After being permanently implemented as a service in April 2023, another 10,000 occasions of service have been recorded.
Amanda Seeto, Vice President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Queensland Branch, emphasised the importance of timely treatment for UTIs, highlighting the convenience of accessing treatment through community pharmacies.
“As anyone who has ever been treated for a UTI knows, time is of the essence, and delayed treatment can potentially lead to more serious conditions," she remarked.
The success of the UTI pilot in Queensland paved the way for further initiatives, including the Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot and the Community Pharmacy Hormonal Contraception Pilot. These programs extend the scope of services offered in community pharmacy, allowing pharmacists to treat a range of everyday conditions and provide certain hormonal birth control pills to eligible women.
Meanwhile, in Victoria, another initiative has been underway through its pharmacist prescribing pilot. Since its inception in October 2023, more than 10,000 patients have received treatment for various common conditions, including UTIs, shingles, mild plaque psoriasis, and more. Pharmacists can also offer travel health vaccinations and resupply of select oral contraceptives.
Megan Kazantzis, a Committee Member of the Guild’s Victoria Branch, highlighted the trust patients have in community pharmacists to deliver safe and quality care.
“The numbers speak for themselves. The Victorian pharmacist prescribing pilot is a win for the thousands of patients who have already safely accessed treatment for these conditions at their local community pharmacy.”
With over 760 pharmacies participating in Victoria and nearly 800 in Queensland, the reach of these services continues to grow, ensuring that more Australians have access to convenient and high-quality healthcare.
In New South Wales, the UTI pilot treated more than 16,000 instances of uncomplicated UTIs and became permanent in May 2024.
