Advanced Pharmacy Australia (AdPha) congratulates the Queensland Government on its recent regulatory amendments supporting the implementation of collaborative prescribing practices across the state – a key pillar of the organisation’s patient-centred national advocacy as outlined in Yindyamarra 2030.
Changes to the Medicines and Poisons (Medicines) Regulation 2021 will now allow pharmacists to prescribe medications in collaboration with medical officers or nurse practitioners — paving the way for the statewide rollout of the Collaborative Pharmacist Medication Prescribing (CPMP) model across Queensland’s hospital and health services.
This move aligns Queensland with other states progressing collaborative prescribing models in recent years, including South Australia, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
AdPha President Tom Simpson FANZCAP (Lead&Mgmt) welcomed the announcement, describing it as a major step forward for healthcare delivery in Queensland.
“It’s fantastic to see Queensland officially embrace collaborative prescribing to improve patient outcomes.
“The statewide rollout of CPMP will transform the healthcare system by improving efficiency, freeing up critical medical and nursing capacity, and ensuring safer, higher-quality medicines management.
“Currently, Queensland has limited partnered pharmacist medication charting in a handful of hospitals. Expanding CPMP across the state will unlock significant efficiencies and bring Queensland into line with other leading jurisdictions.
“The evidence is clear: partnered prescribing models are ten times safer for patients and reduce hospital stays by around 10%. Expanding CPMP will not only improve outcomes for patients but ease pressure on the entire health system — delivering potential cost savings in the millions.”
Mr Simpson also acknowledged the efforts of AdPha members and key stakeholders in achieving this important reform.
“Fostering interdisciplinary excellence to improve patient care is core to AdPha’s Yindyamarra 2030 strategy and I want to particularly recognise AdPha Queensland Branch Committee Chair Kate Bennett and AdPha Head of Policy and Advocacy Jerry Yik for the continuing role they play in helping realise this vision.
“Together with Queensland’s Directors of Pharmacy Senior Assembly, they have been instrumental in advocating for the statewide adoption of this proven model of care and represented the pharmacy sector brilliantly on the Working Group convened by the Office of the Chief Allied Health Officer.
“I also commend Chief Allied Health Officer Liza-Jane McBride and her pharmacist team members for sponsoring and leading the Queensland CPMP project in collaboration with AdPha and the Queensland Directors of Pharmacy.
“It is clear the Queensland Government is passionate about scope of practice expansion to meet the healthcare needs of its communities, and we thank them for their commitment to strengthening our healthcare system.
“I look forward to seeing CPMP implemented in hospitals across the state, ensuring Queenslanders have access to safer, higher quality, team-based care.”
