THE Australian Medical Association Queensland (AMAQ) is being urged to stop "continually perpetuating lies" about pharmacist prescribing.
Pharmacy Guild of Australia Queensland Branch President, Chris Owen, said it was "not surprising" that the AMAQ would use the announcement of the NSW Government's 12-month pharmacist prescribing trial (PD 14 Nov) "to fabricate information and misinform patients".
In a statement released last night, Owen said the AMAQ had manufactured lies about the North Queensland Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot, the non-complex Urinary Tract Infection Pharmacy Pilot - Queensland (UTIPP-Q) and now permanent UTI health service, following the NSW Government's announcement.
"If AMAQ had a clear understanding of the North Queensland Pharmacy Pilot, they would realise that pharmacists are not replacing general practitioners, as falsely stated," he said.
"But are working collaboratively as primary healthcare professionals for the betterment of patients.
"AMAQ's labelling of pharmacists as untrained is appalling and downright degrading.
"The need to continually rebut AMAQ's statements about community pharmacists' education and training is tiring but necessary."
Owen said that with reports of patients being unable to access bulk-billing GPs making headlines, the AMAQ and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) needed to collaborate with other health professions to improve patient access to primary healthcare services.
"Time and again, AMAQ and RACGP have cried out about over-worked and burnt-out GPs who are at tipping point," he said.
"Community pharmacists can and should provide more primary healthcare services to Queensland.
"AMAQ and RACGP can't keep talking about a GP crisis and then object to solutions put forward just because it's not their idea.
"The North Queensland Pharmacy Pilot is one solution amongst many to begin reforming public healthcare services in Queensland and improve access to GPs, decrease ambulance ramping and reduce emergency department presentations."
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 15 Nov 22
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