Pharmacy Daily | RACGP attacks NSW prescribing plan

NSW Premier, Dominic Perrottet, is being urged to roll back from plans to expand pharmacists' scope of practice in the State, by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).

RACGP President, Adjunct Professor Karen Price described the State Government's plan to authorise pharmacists to administer a broader range of vaccines for public health initiatives and travel, and pharmacist prescribing, as "a recipe for disaster".

"Healthcare is about more than just writing prescriptions and sending people out the door on their way," she said.

"This alarming NSW scheme promises to be little more than a dangerous script writing service that puts patient safety in jeopardy."

Price warned that moves to enable pharmacists to prescribe medications for conditions such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), oral contraceptives or to provide repeat scripts for blood pressure medications would fragment patient care and result in poorer health outcomes.

"This isn't a solution for patients, this is a solution for the pharmacy lobby," she said.

"Continuity of care with a GP is so important, particularly for those patients with multiple, chronic conditions that need careful follow-up and management.

"Under this NSW scheme GPs will be flying dark because we will have no idea what the pharmacist is prescribing and vice versa.

"I cannot stress enough how dangerous that is, especially for those patients on multiple medications for serious health concerns."

Meanwhile, NSW Minister for Regional Health and Mental Health, Bronnie Taylor, said the expansion of pharmacists' scope of practice in NSW "will make a really big difference to people being able to access quality healthcare at the right time" in rural communities.

Speaking on 2GB this morning, Taylor said the profession had highlighted its value during the COVID-19 pandemic, successfully administering vaccinations.

"They're good people, they're highly professional and they're highly trained," she said.

"It's just great to see this increased scope of practice, because it'll take pressure off GPs and off emergency departments, and that's what we're all about at the moment."