The Pharmacy Guild of Australia reports that expanding pharmacist prescribing across Australia could deliver more than $1 billion in annual health system savings, free up over 10 million GP appointments and prevent 30,000 hospitalisations each year, according to new national modelling.
The report, Rewriting the Script, prepared by HTANALYSTS for the Guild, examined the potential impact of pharmacist autonomous prescribing and found it could improve access to care while helping address growing pressure on GP services.
Professor Trent Twomey, National President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, says the modelling should be a catalyst for the federal government to make the most of community pharmacy.
“This modelling shows that empowering specially trained pharmacists to prescribe for appropriate conditions isn’t just good for patients — it’s good for the entire health system,” he says.
“It improves access, reduces wait times and delivers more than a billion dollars in annual savings.”
Irene Deltetto, Principal, Strategy and Social Impact HTANALYSTS says, “Behind every dollar in this analysis is a patient who waited too long to see a GP, or a hospitalisation that could have been avoided.”
HTANALYSTS modelled that $21 billion in overall economic impact would be generated across just four conditions through pharmacist-autonomous prescribing.
“What’s needed now is the regulatory and funding architecture to make this model permanent and nationally consistent,” says Ms Deltetto.
The report recommends nationally consistent prescribing powers; sustainable funding to support access and connected digital health systems.
The Guild is calling on the government to implement the three recommendations made in the report
“Every day pharmacists assess the safety, appropriateness and clinical need of medicines prescribed to patients. The right national frameworks will mean pharmacist prescribing can transform access to safe and effective healthcare,” says Professor Twomey.
“Community pharmacy is Australia’s most accessible frontline healthcare destination. People visit their pharmacist every three weeks on average, and each visit is an opportunity to do more to create healthier communities.
“We need to make sure patients get the right care, at the right time, at a place they choose.”
