Pharmacy Daily | Full scope to free up ED

UNLOCKING full scope of pharmacist practice could divert thousands of patients from NSW emergency departments and hospital beds, reducing wait times and freeing up resources for those who need them most, according to a new report from Deloitte Access Economics.

Expanded community pharmacy services could free up 191,974 hospital bed days, save 81,129 hours of Emergency Department wait time during regular hours, and avoid 156,647 outpatient service events each year, the analysis found.

The potential savings from healthcare system capacity expansion could reach $158.4 million per year, with a further $719.3 million in quality of life benefits for families across the state.

Meanwhile, recent polling conducted by Insightfully in Nov 2025 demonstrated strong public support for expanded pharmacist scope, with nine out of 10 NSW voters agreeing pharmacists should play a bigger role in frontline care, helping to ease hospital pressures and improving access to essential health services.

"The NSW Government has made great progress in allowing community pharmacists to treat conditions such as UTIs and a range of skin conditions," said Pharmacy Guild of Australia NSW Branch President Mario Barone.

"This research shows that there is a great opportunity for community pharmacy to do even more.

"Allowing pharmacists to work to their full scope can help reduce bed block, deliver high quality health outcomes, and expand the capacity of our health system," Barone concluded. KB