THE Pharmacy Guild of Australia has backed calls this week by physiotherapists and other allied healthcare professionals to work to their full scope of practice and training to help more patients.
It follows public comments made by the Australian Physiotherapy Association that all allied health professionals working to their full scope of practice benefits patients, the health system and the economy.
Pharmacy Guild National President Trent Twomey commented that physiotherapists, like pharmacists, can do a lot more for their patients.
"Physiotherapists working to their full scope of practice to treat patients with musculoskeletal conditions is just one example of how we can improve and streamline the healthcare system," Twomey explained.
He also congratulated the Federal Govt for launching the Cormack Review to investigate ways of unleashing the health workforce to streamline the system so that patient access and treatment can be improved.
"As Health Minister Mark Butler acknowledged only recently, pharmacists have long been calling for a shake-up of the health system to improve waiting times and hospital access.
"Like nurses and physiotherapists, pharmacists stand ready to deliver more services for patients."
He added there are already pharmacists in training in Qld to treat and diagnose 23 everyday health conditions to "unclog" the state's health system.
"New South Wales is committed to following Queensland's lead across the 23 conditions and only this month, South Australia gave the green light for pharmacists to treat and diagnose women with uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections," said Twomey.
He also said this would not be a burden on taxpayers because health professionals working to their full skill set only needed a legislative change, not billions of dollars in extra public funds.
"We've done the homework on this," he asserted.
"Pharmacists, physiotherapists, and other health professionals working to their full scope will not only save patients' time and convenience, but it will also save billions of taxpayers' dollars too." JG
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