The Pharmacy Guild of Australia WA Branch has congratulated its counterparts in Queensland, welcoming the announcement of the North Queensland Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot, which will commence in the second half of 2023.
“This is a significant step forward, and better aligns us with international patient care models, Pharmacy Guild of Australia WA Branch President, Mr Andrew Ngeow said.
“Pharmacy prescribing is an effective mechanism which is already utilised in countries including Canada, New Zealand and in the United Kingdom.”
The Pilot
As part of the North Queensland Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot pharmacists will be able to administer more types of vaccines and prescribe medicines for a range of common conditions including:
- nausea and vomiting;
- reflux;
- rhinitis;
- mild skin conditions; and
- acute mild musculoskeletal pain.
The scope of the pilot will also allow pharmacists to provide health and well-being services including:
- hormonal contraception;
- oral health screening;
- weight management; and
- support for consumers to quit smoking.
As part of structured chronic disease management pharmacists will also be able to prescribe programs for cardiovascular disease risk reduction, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
‘Better access to primary health care’
Working collaboratively with the state government has resulted in the introduction of a new model of patient care, which was announced by the Queensland Minister for Health and Ambulance Services, the Honourable Yvette D’Ath.
In her announcement, the Minister noted that the pilot will deliver “better access to the sort of primary health care services that many patients currently find difficult to access.”
Pharmacists participating in the pilot will complete additional training to ensure they continue to safely manage the listed conditions and responsibilities, and each pharmacy location will have suitable consulting spaces that ensure patient privacy.
Pharmacists working in community pharmacies have always been an integral part of primary health care delivery.
This role has never been as important as it has been during the past couple of years.
As demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, the community pharmacy industry can partner with the government to successfully deliver critical health care to patients.
Australian pharmacists have the competency, accountability and most critically, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency confirm they have the authority to prescribe, dispense, administer, and review medicines.
“I’m absolutely confident that the North Queensland Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot will demonstrate the benefits of the better utilisation of pharmacists in the provision of primary health care,” Mr Ngeow said.
‘Pilot gives patients a choice’
The pilot is not about replacing GPs, rather it is a case of providing healthcare options for patients who may not otherwise be able to access a GP.
Pharmacists operating at the top of their professional scope can assist in alleviating the pressure on our overburdened and increasingly fragile primary care and hospital systems.
“Ultimately, the patient will choose where and when they access their preferred model of care. This pilot gives them that choice,” Mr Ngeow said.
