Pharmacy Daily | GPs push for antivirals in Doctor’s Bag

CALLS for pharmacists to be authorised to initiate COVID-19 antiviral treatment for eligible patients are being rebuffed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).

While the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) have urged the Federal Government to follow pharmacist prescribing models being used in other countries, to ensure patients can start taking the medication as soon as possible, the RACGP has said there would be patient safety implications from such an approach.

RACGP Vice President, Dr Bruce Willett, told the organisation's News GP publication that "a more sensible approach would be to make these medications available as part of a Doctor's Bag, and to have GPs able to keep these medications on hand in the practice".

"That would solve the access issues and speed things up without compromising safety, unlike a pharmacy-led model," he said.

However, Guild National President, Trent Twomey, noted that the current GP shortage has meant patient wait times were endangering those with COVID-19.

"This is backed by recently revealed Healthengine data," Twomey said.

"For example, in 2019 the average wait time in Victoria was 1.98 days and now it's 3.33 days.

"WA and NSW are the worst-performing states, where a patient has to wait an average of four and 4.17 days respectively to see a GP.

"These wait times are unacceptable.

"Given the treatment program of these life-saving anti-viral medicines needs to commence within five days of the initial onset of COVID-19 symptoms, it's vital that patients test early and often and receive treatment without long delays due to the lack of GP appointments.

"Community pharmacists in Australia have the skills, expertise and knowledge to assist patients so there is no reason for delaying treatment to eligible patients.

"If Australia followed the New Zealand example, we could greatly reduce COVID-19 hospitalisations, increase the number of patients receiving treatment in a timely manner, increase productivity and save hundreds of millions of dollars in hospital expenditure by empowering community pharmacy."