ACRRM President Dr Sarah Chalmers joined local and national peak stakeholder groups’ leaders in Cairns on Tuesday 19 July to highlight concerns about the Queensland Government’s extension of pharmacist authority to sell and supply specified medicines for the treatment of urinary tract infections as a model of usual care.
The College has significant concerns with the way in which this initiative and the North Queensland Pharmacy Trial project have been designed and implemented. There can be little confidence in its findings with respect to achieving the best outcomes for patient safety and the best interests of rural and remote communities.
Disappointingly, this approach has served to create friction rather than to promote the cooperation and teamwork approach that lies at the heart of great healthcare services for rural and remote communities. The College will write to the Queensland Minister for Health and the Director-General of Queensland Health to reiterate these concerns.
Dr Chalmers will also raise the College's concerns nationally and with other medical specialties.
ACRRM acknowledges and values the important role of rural and remote pharmacists as members of the healthcare team which provides continuous, locally-based, holistic care; however, the College does not support an extension to the current scope of pharmacist practice, including to the current prescribing protocols.
The College policy position statement is available here.