VICTORIAN GPs are urging patients to consult with their regular GP, rather than going to a pharmacist "for a 'quick fix' that may not address the real problem".
The call comes in the wake of the launch of a media campaign for pharmacy prescribing from the state's Health Department.
Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) Victoria Chair Dr Anita Munoz is encouraging patients to seek care from a GP who knows them and their history.
"Patient safety must come first," Dr Munoz stated.
"We're urging people to see a GP for a diagnosis because there is no such thing as a 'simple' health condition, and pharmacists are not trained to diagnose.
"This program is allowing pharmacists to hand out medicines, including antibiotics, based off checklists and flowcharts after a short online course - this cannot replace a medical diagnosis, and patients accessing these services from chemists need to know that.
"Removing the GP diagnosis presents significant risks to patient safety, including incorrect treatment, delayed diagnosis, serious illnesses being missed, and increasing antimicrobial resistance, which will cost the health system more in the long term," she said.
The RACGP claimed there have been numerous reports of misdiagnosis and incorrect treatment from pharmacist prescribing programs in NSW and Qld, and that the UTI program in Vic pharmacies resulted in 13% of infections that did not resolve.
Dr Munoz called for increased multidisciplinary care that plays to each party's strengths.
"GPs and pharmacists each bring vital expertise to the healthcare system, and GPs value the work of pharmacists in all corners of the country," she said.
"We back sensible measures such as funding for practices to add more pharmacists as part of a collaborative GP-led multidisciplinary care approach." KB
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