Townsville doctor Michael Clements hits back at proposed pharmacist treatment program

An eminent Townsville doctor has raised serious concerns about pharmacists treating people, as a new training course is rolled out across NQ. See what has the doctor worried.

Townsville doctor Michael Clements has raised serious concerns over a new training course being rolled out in North Queensland.

175 North Queensland pharmacists are completing a one-year graduate certificate so patients can be treated for some issues at a pharmacy rather seeing a GP or going to an emergency room.

Earlier this week one Townsville pharmacist and co-owner of nine pharmacies said the North Queensland Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot scheme was better for doctors, taxpayers, patients and hospitals.

But the Royal Australian College of GPs has come out strongly criticising the program.

College rural chair and Townsville private practice GP Michael Clements drew similarities between this new training program and a contentious program where pharmacists could sell antibiotics for uncomplicated urinary tract infections.

The Townsville-based doctor believed pharmacists could be pressured by pharmacy owners to sell more expensive medications. He was also concerned that unnecessary antibiotics could be prescribed.

Pharmacists and GP representative groups are odds over a program that would allow pharmacists to treat simple conditions in store.

“Patients want convenience... but the role of the federal bodies is to protect our patients from financial gain, and to protect our patients from poor care.”

Mr Clements said the issue is that it is difficult for people to get into and be examined by a GP, adding there was not a shortage of people available just to write scripts.

He added that the medications pharmacists want access to have already been through an assessment process, where the Therapeutic Goods Administration decided that doctors need to physically be involved in the patient care.

Royal college president Dr Nicole Higgins called on the Queensland government to end the program.

Townsville’s Dr Michael Clements says pharmacists want access to medications that the Therapeutic Goods Administration have ruled require a doctor be physically present to prescribe.

In a media statement, Dr Higgins said pharmacist interns would be treating serious conditions like type 2 diabetes and serious heart conditions, a claim that is disputed.

A Pharmacy Guild of Australia Queensland spokesperson said only fully registered pharmacists could diagnose.

The Queensland University of Technology, James Cook University and the Australasian College of Pharmacy are overseeing the one-year graduate certificate course, which is being rolled out by Queensland Health with the support of the state government.

Last week, Townsville pharmacist Jaga Maitland-Smith said the program would allow GPs to spend more time with patients who had more chronic conditions, while pharmacists could treat simpler issues.

Mr Maitland-Smith is doing the graduate certificate course. He is the majority owner of the four Chempro Chemists in Townsville, and part-owner of five in NSW.

“It’s better for doctors. It’s better for health care facilities like hospitals. It’s better for taxpayers, it’s better for patients,” Mr Maitland-Smith previously said.

The second cohort of pharmacists to do the program will start training at James Cook University in July 2023. The first cohort started studying on March 27, and will start serving people with their new skills at the end of this year.

Once they have completed the course, Queensland Health will approve them to prescribe everyday and some chronic disease medications.

Originally published as Townsville doctor Michael Clements hits back at proposed pharmacist treatment program