SUGGESTIONS that the start date for the North Queensland Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot (NQPSPP) is being delayed are wide of the mark, Pharmacy Guild of Australia Queensland Branch President, Chris Owen, says.
Speaking to Pharmacy Daily following reports that the Queensland Government had pushed back the trial's start date because of criticism from medical groups, aired on the ABC's 7.30 program last night, Owen said "any commentary around a delay is misleading".
He noted that the NQPSPP was not expected to start before 01 Jan 2024.
"As long as we get the announcement by the end of the year it won't be delayed," he said.
"There's no delay from what we're hearing.
"It's still on track... and the scope will be announced shortly."
Australian Medical Association Queensland President, Dr Maria Boulton, described the pilot as "a dangerous experiment that puts [patients'] health at risk".
Boulton, whose organisation withdrew from the NQPSPP Steering Committee (PD 14 Feb), said that under the proposed trial pharmacists would be able to prescribe medications for 23 conditions after 120 hours of online learning, a suggestion Owen rejected.
The Queensland Guild President, said the 120 hours related to a supervisory, with pharmacists undergoing 12 to 16 months of postgraduate training before becoming eligible to participate in the NQPSPP.
Owen said pharmacist prescribing was part of a suite of solutions to improve healthcare in areas that have limited access to GP care.
He added that expanding "scope of practice will provide a more satisfying career [for pharmacists] bringing prestige back to the pharmacy profession", making it a more attractive option for students.
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