The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Queensland Branch President, Chris Owen, welcomed the announcement in today's budget that the Queensland State Government has allocated $6M to complete additional training to support the state-wide rollout of the Queensland Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot.
Mr Owen said the additional funding would ensure training was accessible to more community pharmacists across Queensland and that this would mean better access to the front-line health services being delivered by the Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot (the Pilot).
"I would like to congratulate the State Government again for their leadership in making sure that community pharmacists can practice to a fuller scope," said Mr. Owen.
"This $6M in funding will go a long way to ensuring that more community pharmacists have access to the training to participate in the Pilot. This will mean pharmacists across Queensland can offer additional health services to Queenslanders.
"In particular, I would like to thank the Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services and Minister for Women, Hon Shannon Fentiman MP. If not for the Minister's tireless work and support for community pharmacies across the state, Queenslanders would have less choice and access to important health care services," said Mr. Owen.
Mr Owen also said the Pilot was already delivering results in community pharmacies across the state.
"Under the Pilot, community pharmacists who have undertaken 12 months of additional university study and practical training can offer additional healthcare services to patients for 22 conditions. These conditions include school sores, shingles, mild psoriasis, wound management, swimmer's ear, travel health and hypertension, among others
"An increasing number of community pharmacies in North Queensland are already offering healthcare services under the Pilot, and Pharmacists throughout the rest of Queensland will soon be commencing 12 months of training to participate in this Pilot as well," said Mr. Owen, "by allowing patients greater choice in where and how Queenslanders access healthcare services we will see pressure taken off the emergency departments in our hospitals."
"97% of people who live in metropolitan areas live within 2.5 kilometres of their nearest community pharmacy, and 83% of regional Australians live within five kilometres of their nearest pharmacy. This funding will mean that more of these community pharmacies will be able to offer greater healthcare services to patients," said Mr. Owen.
