The President of the Tasmanian Branch of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia joined Minister Jaensch and Minister Palmer today to celebrate Tasmania hitting 5000 occasions of service through the Tasmanian Community Pharmacy Program’s Urinary Tract Infection service pilot.
Joe O’Malley said 5000 occasions of service was a huge milestone and a great outcome for Tasmanian women.
“This is a patient-focused program that is all about delivering more services for Tasmanian women – more services, when they need it, close to where they live,” Mr O’Malley said.
“We thank the Government for their collaboration on this great program, which shows what is possible when community pharmacy is supported to provide services for Tasmanians.”
The Guild has been a proud advocate for programs to treat uncomplicated UTIs in community pharmacies.
The program commenced in Tasmania earlier this year, and there are similar models operating across all mainland jurisdictions.
Mr O’Malley added that the Guild was excited at the opportunities to keep working with the Government on the recommendations of the Scope of Practice Review report.
“Community pharmacy can take pressure off our GPs and EDs by delivering more services for Tasmanians. This means better access to healthcare in our communities”, Mr O’Malley said.
“There is no doubt this program has already saved hundreds of GP appointments and potential hospitalisations since it began – not to mention the support for thousands of Tasmanian women who have been able to access healthcare when they need it, which saves them money and time – so we will keep working with the Government on expanding community pharmacy’s scope of practice.”
Tasmanians who want to find a pharmacy near them that is offering the UTI service, or other pharmacy services, can visit www.findapharmacy.com.au.
