Pharmacy Daily | NSW prescribing trial gets the go ahead

THE NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Health Minister Brad Hazzard announced yesterday that pharmacists will soon be able to renew existing scripts for the contraceptive pill and provide care to patients suffering from Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) under a new clinical trial across all 2,100 community pharmacies in the state.

The prescribing trial for the treatment of UTIs is to begin on 01 Apr, with a trial for the renewal of oral contraceptive pill prescriptions to start on 01 Jul, which will allow pharmacists to extend an original script issued by a GP or nurse practitioner in the past two years.

Perrottet said this pharmacy plan would "transform healthcare" with people able to book online to see a pharmacist or simply walk in and get the care they need.

"It's harder than ever to get into a GP and that's why these changes will make a real difference to people who need to access a range of prescriptions and treatments.

"It's clear changes are needed at the federal level to help our GPs but NSW is not going to sit back and wait, instead we're fast-tracking these important reforms to give people the care they need now," Perrottet said.

The Pharmacy Guild's NSW branch President David Heffernan said: "Making primary healthcare more accessible across the state is an urgent challenge.

"Patients are waiting far too long to see a doctor, and pharmacists are ready to play a part in the solution."

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) NSW President Chelsea Felkai said that the pilot will improve access to timely care for NSW patients, and reaffirmed PSA's support for the program.

Doctor organisations have consistently campaigned against expanding the pharmacist's scope of practice citing a lack of training and putting patient safety at risk.

The latest voice to protest is the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, who said these trials further fragment care for indigenous people.