The Northern Territory is gearing up to give community pharmacists a bigger role in healthcare with the rollout of the Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice program, inspired by the successful model in Queensland.
This program will allow trained community pharmacists to treat 21 common health conditions, including school sores, shingles, and provide oral contraception. A standout feature is that pharmacists will soon be able to offer antibiotic treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs), a service that’s currently not available in the Territory but is accessible in other parts of Australia.
The Country Liberal Party (CLP) has made several commitments regarding this initiative. They’ve promised that UTI services will be up and running within the first 100 days of a CLP government, and training for the scope of practice program will kick off at the same time. Importantly, this won’t be a pilot program, so we can expect it to be fully integrated into our healthcare system right from the start. The groundwork for this expansion was laid when the Northern Territory government amended legislation in 2022, allowing pharmacists to broaden their professional services under a Scheduled Substance Treatment Protocol (SSTP).
Peter Hatswell, President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia NT Branch, highlighted how crucial this initiative is, saying, "This initiative is critical to improving healthcare access and efficiency for Territorians and represents a transformative step forward for our healthcare system." He noted that empowering community pharmacists to handle various common health issues means patients can get the timely and convenient care they need.
With this program in place, we can look forward to improved healthcare access for Territorians and a reduction in the pressure on primary care and emergency services. This initiative is in line with successful programs in other Australian states and countries like the UK, Canada, and New Zealand, where allowing pharmacists to do more has led to better patient outcomes.
Exciting times are ahead for healthcare in the Northern Territory!
(L-R): Peter Hatswell - NT Branch President, Lia Finocchiaro - Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Claire Ross - Owner Blooms the Chemist Darwin Galleria, Robyn Cahill - Member for Port Darwin.
