WESTERN Australian women have embraced the diagnoses and treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infection by the state's community pharmacists, confirmed the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
During the initial five months of operation, pharmacists in 405 community pharmacies were trained and able to deliver the critical healthcare service.
Collectively they have provided over 2,500 occasions of service.
The Guild added access to early treatment from these medicines experts had delivered timely relief from the very painful symptoms of this acute condition.
At the time of its launch, Guild WA Branch President Andrew Ngeow (pictured), described the Pharmacist Initiated Treatment of Urinary Tract Infection program as being a "game changer" for women in the state (PD 07 Aug).
"These early results underscore the reasons the WA Branch advocated for the program to be established," Ngeow said.
"The true value of the program is already being demonstrated."
Community pharmacists who had undergone approved training began treating patients in the days immediately after the state's Minister for Health, Amber-Jade Sanderson, announced the program in Aug 2023.
Diagnosis and treatment of an uncomplicated urinary tract infection is now an entrenched core service provided by Western Australian community pharmacies, emphasised the Guild.
It is providing eligible women across Western Australia access to convenient, safe, and timely treatment options.
"The feedback that we are receiving from patients is that the program is achieving positive health outcomes," Ngeow added.
"Our goal as a sector is to continue to increase patient access, so that no Western Australian woman should be in pain and suffer unnecessarily, from this very painful condition.
"Given many of the community pharmacies providing this service are open seven days per week over extended hours, it is no surprise that Western Australian women are increasingly choosing to receive pharmacy-based treatment due to both its convenience and high-quality care," Ngeow commented.
The list of community pharmacies in Western Australia that offer urinary tract infection treatment can be found HERE. JG
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