The first cohort of community pharmacists – a total of 175 registered pharmacists – has commenced higher education and training as part of the North Queensland Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot, which got underway on 27 March 2023.
“The response to the enrolment process itself has been incredible. Places for the first cohort were filled in less than a week with 175 eligible pharmacists starting their journey today [27 March],” Chris Owen, Queensland Branch President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, said.
“With the second cohort allocation close to reaching capacity, this Pilot is set to modernise primary healthcare by giving patients greater accessibility to seek treatment for everyday common conditions, which will remove unnecessary wait times to see GPs or patients presenting to an emergency department.”
Under the guidance of the Queensland University of Technology, James Cook University and the Australasian College of Pharmacy, two cohorts of pharmacists will undertake graduate certificate-level, evidenced-based training, which is currently used in other Australian non-medical prescribing pathways.
The second cohort will begin training through James Cook University on 3 July 2023, with the first occasion of service expected to be delivered in North Queensland by the trained group of cohort 1 at the end of 2023.
Working to full scope
The Pilot will allow community pharmacists in North Queensland to prescribe medicines for common conditions such as:
- nausea and vomiting,
- reflux,
- and mild skin conditions.
As part of the Pilot, community pharmacists will be able to provide health and well-being services including:
- hormonal contraception,
- oral health screening,
- weight management
- and support to quit smoking.
It will also let pharmacists prescribe medicines as part of structured chronic disease management programs such as cardiovascular disease risk reduction, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
“I’m so proud that the first independent prescriber in Australia will come out of North Queensland. It is a testament to the hundreds of committed community pharmacy professionals ready to embrace working to their full scope of practice,” Mr Owen said.
Pilot supports GPs
Mr Owen goes explained that the Pilot framework will continue to ensure meaningful collaboration between a patient, their pharmacist and their GP through active communication and referrals, meaning patients will have more options for getting timely access to treatment.
“If a patient can receive healthcare in a timely manner from their local community pharmacist, this may prevent them from waiting weeks to see their GP or presenting to the emergency department,” Mr Owen said.
“This will also support GPs by having greater capacity to have appointments, available to see their patients with more complex needs, including longer consultations.
“At the end of the year patients will be able to receive treatment by trained community pharmacists in a safe and private consultation room when they need it,” he said.
