Pharmacy Daily | AMA takes another shot at NQPSPP

DOCTORS from North Queensland have voiced their opposition to plans to allow pharmacists in the area to prescribe medication for a limited number of conditions as part of a trial program.

Speaking at an Australian Medical Association (AMA) Emergency Town Hall meeting last week, the organisation's National President, Dr Omar Khorshid, said the proposed North Queensland Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot (NQPSPP) would undermine GPs and "put patients' lives a risk".

"The trial, which would allow pharmacists to diagnose and prescribe drugs for 23 conditions including type 2 diabetes and heart conditions, will put patients at risk and undermines the critical role of general practice in our health system," he said.

"This dangerous experiment removes the critical separation between prescribing and dispensing, putting pharmacy profits before patients.

"It puts patients and pharmacists themselves at risk by asking pharmacists to do a doctor's job, but without any medical training."

Khorshid warned the pilot would heap pressure on employee pharmacists, whom he said were already stretched.

"Pharmacists are among the poorest paid healthcare workers in our community and this trial will put them under extraordinary pressure.

"Doctors respect the considerable skills pharmacists bring to the care of patients.

"They are experts in medications and medication management and there is no doubt that they can contribute more to the delivery of healthcare in this country.

"Healthcare workers function best when they are part of a collaborative team and in our primary care sector that's a team coordinated by a GP and informed by medical diagnosis."

Both the AMA and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) abandoned the NQPSPP Steering Reference Group earlier this year, (PD 14 Feb), leaving them with no direct involvement in planning for the program.

Pharmacy Guild of Australia Queensland Branch President, Chris Owen, has previously described criticism of the pilot from the RACGP as "unhinged" (PD 25 Feb).