Dr Maria Boulton attacks new North Qld program giving more power to pharmacists

Pharmacists across Mackay and North Queensland could soon hold the power to treat a range of conditions traditionally left to GPs. Here’s why some doctors are up in arms.

Mackay residents struggling to secure a GP appointment will soon have an alternative: go see a pharmacist instead.

A new program giving pharmacists the power to treat a range of conditions traditionally left to doctors is in place and ready to go from late 2023 onwards.

Called the North Queensland Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot, the program means pharmacists will administer more types of vaccines and prescribe medicines for a range of common conditions including nausea and vomiting, reflux, rhinitis, skin conditions and acute mild musculoskeletal pain.

Pharmacists will also be able to prescribe programs for cardiovascular disease risk reduction, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and offer hormonal contraception, oral health screening and weight management.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said the program would ease access pressures in the health system.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath (right) says the new pilot program in North Queensland will give patients more access primary health care services. Picture: Richard Walker

“This pilot program will mean better access to the sort of primary health care services that many patients currently find difficult to access,” she said.

“Now that the scope has been finalised, work has started on implementing appropriate structures to ensure the pilot is safe and effective.

“Pharmacists participating in the pilot will undergo additional training to ensure they are able to safely manage the included conditions and responsibilities.”

Australian Medical Association Queensland president Dr Maria Boulton said the program would put patients in danger.

“What the government is proposing goes against the independent, unbiased, evidence-based advice from the federal Therapeutic Goods Administration about who can prescribe and access medication and research into patient safety,” she said.

“GPs train for 12 to 15 years to be able to diagnose these conditions, yet the health Minister thinks pharmacists can deliver the same level of care after 120 hours of learning in practice.

“The pilot proposes that pharmacists will perform a lung exam, spirometry, otoscopy without the appropriate training.

Photo of newly elected AMAQ President Maria Boulton Picture Supplied

“This goes against a holistic approach to patient care.

“For example, nausea may seem straightforward, but it can be a symptom of diabetes, gastroenteritis, brain cancer, appendicitis, sepsis, meningitis and more.

“Treating just the symptom and not the underlying cause places the patient at risk and leads to more expensive hospital stays.”

Across North Queensland 178 community pharmacies are eligible to participate in the program.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia supports the program and said AMA Queensland’s concerns about a lack of adequate training were unfounded.

“Community pharmacists learn the skills required to assess and diagnose patients during their undergraduate program so those participating in the pilot will be undertaking even more training, with 12 months of postgraduate level courses and 120 hours of supervised practice,” a guild spokeswoman said.

“The pilot training consists of modules on safe prescribing, quality use of medicines and includes an antimicrobial stewardship refresher, as well as how to perform a lung exam, spirometry and otoscopy.

“Pharmacists are medicines and therapy experts and regularly fix prescribing errors made by doctors – a clear demonstration that pharmacists already have the skills and knowledge to assist patients further.

“The additional training is on top of the four-year undergraduate degree and one-year internship required for pharmacists to attain general registration.”

The new program follows an earlier pilot that involved pharmacists treating urinary tract infections.

Originally published as Dr Maria Boulton attacks new North Qld program giving more power to pharmacists