Women in NSW and Queensland will now find it easier to obtain oral contraceptive pills directly from their pharmacy without visiting their GPs, after the state health ministers announced the expansion of trials permitting pharmacies to prescribe various medications and general health information.
Over 900 pharmacies in NSW will participate in the year-long trial, giving pharmacists greater responsibilities in distributing the oral contraceptive pill and easing the pressure off GPs, especially those in regional and rural areas.
Am I eligible?
Women aged between 18-35, who are taking the pill for contraceptive purposes and have had a past prescription for oral contraceptive pills are eligible for top ups through their local participating pharmacy. NSW residents can find participating pharmacies here.
This means that women who need a new script will no longer have to spend money on a GP — their only out-of-pocket cost being the medication itself.
Participating pharmacists will be paid $20 per consultation by the NSW Government to help cover administration costs.
Pharmacists in Queensland involved in the trial will also be permitted to prescribe asthma medication, nausea and vomiting medication, nasal congestion, mild skin condition treatments, as well as provide options for reducing heart disease and support for people who are trying to quit smoking.
The latest decision comes after the urinary tract infection (UTI) pharmacy pilot program was permanently implemented last October in Queensland, which allowed women to access treatment for non-complex urinary tract infections through a pharmacy.
However, some doctors believe these latest trials expanding the scope of a pharmacist’s power may endanger patients.
Last November, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) President at the time, Adj. Professor Karen Price urged the NSW Government to prioritise patient safety over pharmacy owner profits.
“Stop this madness before it’s too late, this is a recipe for disaster plain and simple,” she said.
“Healthcare is about more than just writing prescriptions and sending people out the door on their way. This alarming NSW scheme promises to be little more than a dangerous script writing service that puts patient safety in jeopardy.”
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) and AMA Queensland have joined RACGP in their criticisms of the program, saying they had not been consulted about the expansion.
RACGP NSW Chair Associate Professor Charlotte Hespe said last year’s pilot program was terrible news for patients across NSW.
“This expansion of pharmacy responsibilities will put people at risk and must be stopped,” she said.
“Consider how this scheme will hit the hip pocket of patients too. Patients, including those who are up against it financially during a time of rising cost of living, will be slugged a private fee for consultations and keep in mind that there will be no reimbursements under the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme.”
Early this morning, RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter)a: “As our @RACGP NSW Chair Charlotte Hespe said – a script from a pharmacist does not replace a GP appointment. A consult with your GP provides the opportunity for a check-up and to explore other contraceptive options. Patient safety and well-being must come first.”
Her predecessor, Dr Karen Price, also took to X to condemn the government’s expansion of the trials: “It’s going to cost so much more to replace or task substitute the work of Family Doctors. Generalities in one profession versus a multitude of particulars in multiple professions is a recipe for healthcare disaster in outcomes AND COST.”
Responding to the latest extension of the program, Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s president, Trent Twomey, ensured that the pharmacists would receive training so that “potentially preventable presentations” could be safely dealt with at a pharmacy.
“A whole chunk of them can be seen very safely, very effectively, consistent with the same therapeutic guidelines and that same high-quality level of service that a Queenslander gets from their local nurse or their local GP, within a community pharmacy context,” he told The Guardian.
Despite this backlash, some pharmacists are welcoming this latest news. University of Newcastle lead researcher Dr Sarah Dineen-Griffin believes the NSW trial will offer women more options.
“The heart of the trial is about improving the health system as a whole and finding new ways to meet the evolving healthcare needs of the community,” Dr Dineen-Griffin, who also works as a pharmacist said.
“I am excited by [yesterday’s] launch of the trial’s second phase, as early evidence from the first phase of the trial suggests we are seeing a very real benefit to patients through increasing the avenues available for treatment.”