Pharmacy Daily | Tassie pharmacists ready to step up

TASMANIAN Premier, Jeremy Rockliff's decision to task the State's Department of Health to immediately look at ways to extend pharmacists' role in the provision of health services (PD 24 Nov), is being welcomed by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.

Responding to the announcement Guild Tasmanian Branch President, Helen O'Byrne, said pharmacists were ready to "step up" and provide the same services as their peers in Queensland and NSW.

"Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) last week highlights more people are waiting longer to see a GP for urgent medical care, especially those living in outer regional, remote, or very remote areas than those living in major cities," she said.

"We know that Tasmania is experiencing severe GP shortages not only in regional areas across the state but also in the outer suburbs of Hobart, which are growing in population and therefore experiencing higher demand."

O'Byrne noted that pharmacists in other jurisdictions around the country have been given the green light to administer a broader range of vaccinations, including travel vaccines, shingles, human papillomavirus (HPV) and Japanese encephalitis.

"It makes sense to expand pharmacists' vaccination scope in Tasmania, given the numbers of community pharmacies already offering vaccination services", O'Byrne said.

"Pharmacists should be able to initiate vaccinations based on clinical need, without the need for a prescription from a GP, given the issues in accessing a GP in the first instance."

O'Byrne said the Tasmanian Government's Pharmacy Scope of Practice Review - which is due to commence next year - would deliver positive outcomes for patients and pharmacists, she called on the Premier to follow other states' lead in implementing pharmacists prescribing programs.

"Tasmanians should not have to wait for the results of the review for initiatives that have already been proven successful in other Australian jurisdictions to be implemented," she said.

"Just like their interstate counterparts Tasmanian community pharmacists are ready to extend their range of professional services right now."