PEAK doctors groups have accused the Pharmacy Board of Australia of putting patients at risk of poorer health outcomes by suppressing debate about its proposed endorsement model for autonomous pharmacy prescribing.
In a joint letter to the board this week, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) expressed disappointment in the board's "uncollaborative pursuit of widespread pharmacy prescribing", with particular reference to a forum held on 30 Oct to discuss the proposal.
"We hoped the day would present an opportunity to have a meaningful discussion about how to safely incorporate pharmacist prescribing into a coordinated model of care where pharmacists and doctors work together for patients," the letter stated.
"The move to expand pharmacy prescribing comes with legitimate and real concerns about fragmentation of care, potential conflicts of interest and the removal of a key policy setting designed to maintain patient safety - namely the separation of prescribing and dispensing," the letter continued.
However, the doctors groups said the board "showed a complete disregard for meaningful debate", that the forum was set up in a way that ensured "any opposing views - even when grounded in rigorous evidence and supported by data - were discouraged" and key issues excluded from discussion.
"While there was some acknowledgement of the conflict-of-interest pharmacists face when both prescribing and selling medications, there was little substantive discussion on how to address this issue.
"This silence is troubling and will have serious consequences for patients."
The peak bodies also raised concerns about apparent variance between states around the preferred model.
"It was alarming that one jurisdiction threatened to ignore any endorsement issued by the board if it differed to the approach being taken in that state," they said.
"Queensland should not be allowed to hold the Board hostage to this demand."
The AMA and RACGP have urged the Pharmacy Board to reconsider its consultation process by enabling a more meaningful and substantive dialogue that addresses legitimate concerns about the proposed model.
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia rejected the doctors bodies' letter, saying it "fails to distinguish between allegations and opinions and contains no actual evidence".
"While the release claims the Pharmacy Board is pursuing a 'risky prescribing agenda', sadly these statements reflect the doctor lobby's fears not facts," a spokesperson for the Guild said.
"Why the doctor lobby groups would seek to undermine patient confidence and seek to divide the community instead of working together, only they can answer."
The Guild noted that pharmacists in Australia have a long history of prescribing schedule 2 and 3 medicines, including emergency supply, continued dispensing, and collaborative prescribing models.
"Every day, pharmacists identify and correct thousands of prescribing mistakes made by other prescribers," the Guild added.
"These same skills and knowledge form the basis for pharmacists to undertake additional training to qualify as an autonomous pharmacist prescriber."
Pharmacy Daily has approached the board for comment. KB
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