THE Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has raised its concerns about the Queensland Government's decision to make its pharmacy pilots permanent, warning of significant risks to public health.
The Labor Government announced last week that, if re-elected, it would permanently adopt the Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot and the Pharmacy Hormonal Contraception Pilot (PD 11 Oct).
However, RACGP Queensland spokesperson Dr Bruce Willett criticised the move, calling it dangerous and politically motivated.
"The Miles Government is putting politics ahead of Queenslanders' health and wellbeing, and I strongly urge other parties not to follow suit," Dr Willett said.
"We've already seen numerous cases of misdiagnosis and incorrect treatment from these pharmacy experiments, including serious conditions like chlamydia, herpes, and even pregnancy misdiagnosed as urinary tract infections."
Dr Willett stressed that diagnosing medical conditions requires specialised training.
"What this shows is what the Miles Government doesn't understand - patients come with symptoms, not a diagnosis.
"Diagnosis is complex and requires years of training - specialist GPs train for over 10 years to understand the difference between a minor ailment and something more serious," he said.
"None of these experimental pilots have been properly evaluated for health outcomes, and the Government has done nothing to ensure Queenslanders do not suffer poor health outcomes as a result."
Dr Willett also pointed out that the pilots "bypass Australia's national regulations for prescription medicines", which are overseen by the TGA to ensure patient safety. JG
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