The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Queensland Branch, held its Branch Committee meeting in Cairns on 15 August and overnight Branch Committee members hosted the People in Pharmacy Networking Dinner to brief local proprietors, community pharmacists, pharmacy staff and pharmacy students from James Cook University on the imminent North Queensland Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot (Pilot).
With over 100 community pharmacies across the region invited to attend the Networking Dinner, Queensland Branch President, Chris Owen, said that North Queensland community pharmacists are eager and ready to commence the Pilot.
“The Guild and local community pharmacists now want to launch the Pilot and start the journey to practice to full scope,” Mr Owen said.
“There have been overwhelmingly positive responses and significant interest from community pharmacists in the North Queensland region to participate in the Pilot and undertake the 18-month post-graduate training required.
“Most importantly, recent independent research found that over 80% of North Queenslanders participating in the survey support the Pilot and community pharmacists practising to their full scope.
“Over the weekend, Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service advised residents online that the emergency department was extremely busy with extended wait times.
“This shows that the Pilot is a clear need in the North Queensland region to reduce the number of emergency department presentations and improve the community’s access to safe, efficient, and convenient primary healthcare services.
“The success of the Urinary Tract Infection Pharmacy Pilot – Queensland (UTIPP-Q) with 87% of women having symptoms resolved safely and effectively and its recent permanent implementation in Queensland community pharmacies, is another clear indicator that pharmacists can do more to meet the needs of their patients.
“Pharmacists practising to their full scope is not a new concept. The Pilot will bring North Queensland pharmacists in line with pharmacists practising in parts of Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom and is expected to provide North Queenslanders with the same positive health outcomes received by those country’s residents.
“Our focus remains on our patients in North Queensland. We reassure North Queenslanders that pharmacists are not replacing General Practitioners, but rather working alongside them for better health outcomes for the community,” Mr Owen said.
The Queensland Branch has launched the pharmacyfullscope.com.au website to provide more information to patients and the pharmacy sector about the North Queensland Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot.
