PHARMACISTS should be given greater authority and support to substitute medications by strength when products are in short supply, to avoid wasting GP resources, former Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) National President, Shane Jackson, believes.
In a post on Twitter, Jackson noted that pharmacists are often forced to go back to prescribers when a particular dosage is unavailable, rather than being able to provide sensible solutions.
"In the middle of a global pandemic you might think that pharmacists would be supported to help patients at the coalface," he said.
"No Sertraline 100? Unavailable... supply 50mg?
"No go back to your doctor... you need a script to tell you to take to 50mg sertraline tablets."
Responding to the tweet, North Melbourne-based GP, Dr Paul Grinzi, described the current requirements as a "waste of GP consultation resouce if it's to verify 2x50=100", suggestion a phone call to the GP could mitigate the need for a new prescription.
PSA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Debbie Rigby, called for "pragmatic thinking", noting "pharmacists making this decision does not compromise medicines safety and avoids unnecessary GP visits".
While Pharmacy Guild of Australia Victorian Branch President, Anthony Tassone, said nothing would change without patients lobbying politicians to push for pharmacists to have greater autonomy around managing medicines shortages.
"Nothing changes, if nothing changes," he said.
"[We] need patients to contact their local MP as they're ultimately the loser.
"Pharmacists try their best to ensure continuity of care and not inconvenience patients, but we can't pull rabbits out of hats forever."
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