JOINT RELEASE: Pharmacists playing doctors… North Queensland patients at risk

The Queensland Government has proposed a pilot program to encourage community pharmacists in North Queensland to diagnose and treat patients, despite a lack of training, qualifications or experience.

The National Council of Primary Care Doctors* (NCPCD) has written to the Queensland and Federal Health Ministers recommending that this pilot be ceased immediately.

NCPCD Chair, Dr Karen Price, said that the pilot would result in higher healthcare costs and poorer health outcomes for North Queensland patients.

“Pharmacists are not medical practitioners and do not have the necessary training or experience in diagnosis and management of people with chronic conditions,” Dr Price said.

“Pharmacists are experts in medication and a key part of community health care but, even with the additional training as outlined in the pharmacy pilot model, they are completely unqualified to diagnose and prescribe to patients.

“A specialist General Practitioner (GP) undertakes a minimum of 10 years training, including both medical school and vocational training, to diagnose illness and recommend treatment fully unsupervised.

“Worse, this pilot is proposed for North Queensland where there is a high population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, many of whom have very complex healthcare needs and comorbidities. To offer them sub-standard care, from a pharmacist rather than a doctor, puts their health and well-being at significant risk,” Dr Price said.

Feedback from pharmacists who work collaboratively alongside rural GPs have consistently indicated that they have sufficient amount of work and are not looking to increase their workload.

“This pilot is not aimed at increasing rural access to primary care services, just a desire to increase profit for pharmacies based in cities and large regional centres,” Dr Price said.

“There are also serious conflicts of interests involved, with pharmacists encouraged to not only diagnose conditions, but also sell patients medications based on this diagnosis.

“The Pharmacy Guild has long held strong views in relation to the separation of prescribing and dispensing when it comes to doctors, who are unable to sell the medications they prescribe, yet under this model it seems that it is considered appropriate for pharmacists to do exactly that.

“Clearly there are financial implications that extend past just the price for a pharmacist consult (which will be charged), but also into the profit margins on the medications prescribed.”

The NCPCD has also suggested the Queensland Government should work collaboratively with the Queensland General Practice Alliance in an effort to enhance access to primary care services, rather than undermine the sector to the detriment of quality patient care.

* The National Council of Primary Care Doctors (NCPCD) represents the interests of general practice and primary care in Australia, comprising leaders from the Australian Medical Association (AMA), Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA), Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM), General Practice Supervisors Australia (GPSA), General Practice Registrars Australia (GPRA) and Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA).

View the College's position statement on Pharmacist Prescribing here.