Trial to allow pharmacists to prescribe medications

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) has welcomed the announcement from New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet, improving access to medicines and vaccines by expanding the scope of practice for NSW pharmacists.

The NSW Government has committed to a 12-month trial allowing pharmacists to prescribe medication for urinary tract infections (UTIs) similar to the program already trialled in Queensland, as well as a statewide trial of pharmacist prescribing for oral contraceptives, and medication for ear infections and minor skin ailments.

Pharmacists will also be able to administer more vaccinations including Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV), Poliomyelitis, Typhoid and Zoster vaccines.

Chelsea Felkai, PSA NSW President, said the move will improve access to medicines and vaccination for residents across NSW, helping to address current GP shortages.

“Giving patients across NSW greater access to vaccinations, contraception and medicines for minor ailments through local pharmacies will significantly improve access to health care, especially in regional and rural parts of the state,” Felkai said.

“Trained Queensland pharmacists have been successfully prescribing for uncomplicated UTIs since 2020, giving patients timely access to medicines in an environment where it could otherwise take up to six weeks to get a GP appointment.

“Pharmacists have the skills and expertise to renew patient prescriptions for ongoing health concerns, especially where their chronic condition is stable, removing barriers to medicine access.

“As the most accessible healthcare professional, pharmacists should be able to offer patients renewals of their ongoing medications. Allowing pharmacists to renew prescriptions for oral contraceptives is the first step in giving patients greater access to medicines for stable but chronic conditions that have already been diagnosed.”

Felkai said the community has demonstrated its confidence in pharmacist-administered vaccines throughout the pandemic, with pharmacists now firmly entrenched as part of Australia’s immunisation workforce.

“We share the concerns NSW Health has on the potential for Japanese Encephalitis outbreaks in regional NSW this summer. We are proud that pharmacists will be able to play their part in helping at-risk people protect themselves against this disease.

“While the world has re-opened to travel, the health system remains under significant pressure. Providing patients with more options to access travel vaccinations just makes sense.”

Felkai added that pharmacists are trained and experienced in immunisation. In community pharmacies alone, over 9 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, and that doesn’t count the doses pharmacists have administered in hubs, general practices or aged care facilities.

“This is an important vote of confidence in pharmacists across NSW, in our skills and expertise as part of the primary healthcare team.”

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