Pharmacy Fullscope

The services that pharmacists around Australia can offer to patients may be changing to save you valuable time and hassle. Pharmacists in several states and territories may soon be able to offer a wider range of vaccines, treatment for some common everyday conditions and help you better manage your high blood pressure, diabetes or asthma right near where you live, work or play.

Increasingly, state governments in Australia are recognising the valuable work that pharmacists do as part of a patient’s healthcare team, while also recognising the need to improve patient access to primary care, especially in rural and regional areas, where patients are waiting 3 weeks or more* to see a General Practitioner (GP).

Authorising pharmacists to work to their full scope of practice, meaning that they are able to treat some of the common everyday type of conditions– like school sores (impetigo), mild acne, runny nose (rhinitis) and shingles–helps ensure that patients are able to receive treatment in a timely manner. Pilots like the ones announced in North Queensland and New South Wales offer patients another choice for their healthcare needs–one that is convenient and timely.

Better outcomes for everyone

We understand you may have questions about what a pharmacist practising to full scope means for you and your family. We have developed a range of materials, including Q&A and Myths versus Facts sections, to address questions and concerns, to share feedback, and show why pharmacists are passionate about delivering better healthcare to their patients.

*@Insightfully. September 2022

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Do you want a broader range of pharmacy services available in your state?

With the expansion of community pharmacy services now official across North Queensland and New South Wales, those in other parts of Australia, particularly regional and remote communities who need it most, will not be able to access a wider range of vaccinations, and treatments for everyday conditions at their local community pharmacy.

If you live in an area that has not announced a greater range of pharmacy services, we have made it easier for you to get in touch with Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care, to encourage the government to implement this right across the country. There is no reason why a pharmacist in NSW is able to offer more primary care services within the community pharmacy, when a pharmacist in WA with the same level of education and expertise cannot provide this same timely care to Western Australians.

Australia’s healthcare system is overwhelmed! State governments need to continue to look at viable solutions to help ease the burden. Allowing healthcare professionals, like pharmacists, physiotherapists and paramedics to practise to the full scope of their abilities is one solution. Having different rules in different states creates an imbalance in services that Australians are able to access and will only lead to more issues.

Consider sending a message today, and join us in achieving a greater scope of pharmacy services for all Australians.

The benefits for you and your family

The are a host of benefits of community pharmacists being able to provide a broader range of services to their community. Most Australians live within 2.5km of a community pharmacy so pharmacists are close to where you are and since you most often won’t even need an appointment, you can receive timely and convenient care close to home. With pharmacists being able to take care of some of these minor type ailments, there should be more appointments available at the GP clinics and less burden on the Emergency Departments, which is great for you, GPs and for Australia’s healthcare system.

If you are unwell and think that you are suffering from one of the conditions included as part of the pilot, or are unsure what’s wrong, you may want to call or visit your community pharmacy first. A pharmacist can assess and review your symptoms and help you decide what your best option for care is, whether it’s seeing your GP, another healthcare provider, or seeking treatment from a pharmacist practitioner like one participating in a Pilot. Please note that if your condition is urgent or requires immediate care, go directly to the Emergency Department.

Better access to primary care services

Reduce the burden on GPs and hospitals

Reduce unnecessary hospitalisations

The Face of Pharmacy is Changing

“Pharmacists and pharmacy assistants play a pivotal role in primary healthcare. You have the community’s trust and confidence… It’s important that community pharmacies continue to expand on the full scope of services offered as they play such a critical role in our Queensland communities.”

Hon Yvette D’Ath MP,

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services, March 2021

“By giving the community greater access to medications and vaccines through their local pharmacist, we are taking pressure off our hardworking GPs by giving them more time for patients with other medical issues… We are stepping up to provide yet another innovative policy to improve the lives of people by offering more support for primary care.

Dominic Perrottet MP,

NSW Premier

"What these prescribing trials are working to is a pharmacist’s strengths – highly protocol-driven assessment and treatment of routine conditions in a safe and controlled manner… Wearing my infectious diseases hat, the prescription of an antibiotic such as trimethoprim has an excellent safety profile. Empowering health-literate young women to access rapid and effective treatment for a ubiquitous condition is a desirable health outcome."

Dr Nick Coatsworth

Respiratory and infectious diseases physician

“The health system is under enormous pressure at the moment and GPs and emergency departments are stretched to breaking points… Something has to be done to ease the workload on GPs and allowing pharmacists to work to their full scope is a pragmatic and sensible way to help GPs and the health system – and most importantly, help patients.”

Stephen Mason

Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Patients Association

Full Scope Pharmacy Pilot - Mythbusting Facts

Myths

Patients won’t get expert care

Facts

Community pharmacists are highly trained with existing skills, knowledge, and competence to provide additional services. Multiple studies have now shown that pharmacist prescribing, as a component of working to full scope, is clinically efficacious and a cost-effective means to improve both access and quality of care.

Myths

Pharmacists practising to their full scope won’t save the government or community money

Facts

$248 MILLION in government and public healthcare savings

*2020 Ernst & Young (EY) ‘Scope of Practice Opportunity Assessment’.

Myths

Pharmacists only have 4 years of training

Facts

Pharmacists complete:

4 years of an accredited university degree
1 year internship in a community pharmacy
2 registration exams
Continuing annual professional development relevant to their scope of practice
Graduate certificate level university training over 12-16 months which includes supervised practice*

*Denotes a pharmacist participating in the Pilot.

FACT - Pharmacists are medicine experts and primary healthcare professionals whose core objective is to put their patients first. On top of their 4 year university accredited degree, pharmacists complete a 1-year internship in a community pharmacy and undertake further intern study requirements, 2 registration exams, and annual continuous professional development. Participating pharmacists will complete up to a 12-month postgraduate training course, which is currently used by other health professionals learning to prescribe. Many Queensland community pharmacists are already providing diagnosis and treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.

Under the auspices of the Queensland University of Technology, James Cook University and the Australasian College of Pharmacy, participating pharmacists will undertake graduate certificate level, evidenced-based training, which is currently used in other Australian non-medical prescribing pathways.

FACT - Recent research in North Queensland shows that half of North Queenslanders with chronic medical diseases and conditions often can't see their regular GP, with access problems made even worse by COVID-19. Additionally, 67% of participants in the survey did not regularly visit their GP, with 35% visiting less than every six months. The reason? Often more than a third are waiting over a week for an appointment.

It’s simple. Australians need better access to primary healthcare.

If a patient can receive healthcare in a timely manner by their local community pharmacist, this may prevent them waiting weeks to see their GP or presenting to the emergency department. This will also support GPs by having greater capacity to have appointments (including longer consultations) available to see their patients with more complex needs.

FACT - In terms of healthcare costs, the Pilot would mean a reduction in costs as predicted in the 2020 Ernst & Young (EY) report titled ‘Scope of Practice Opportunity Assessment’. The report concluded that by community pharmacists working to their full scope, it would result in:

$63 million per year in savings in avoided public healthcare costs.
$176 million per year in savings for State and Federal Governments in avoided costs through better treatment of minor ailments and conditions; and
$9 million per year for the implementation of better medicine and treatment practices for chronic conditions.

FACT - Full scope is not a new concept – it’s been around for decades. As an example, in Canada and the United Kingdom, community pharmacies manage common ambulatory conditions, including ailments such as urinary tract infections, back pain and eczema. In Canada and Scotland, pharmacists’ scope of practice includes prescription renewal and the management of the ongoing supply of prescribed medicines for stable, chronic conditions without the need to unnecessarily returning to the prescriber.

Case study - Wales

The Welsh government's ambition is for every pharmacy in Wales to have an independent prescriber by 2030
Aim is to support a ‘community pharmacy first’ model of care, to reduce the number of patients consulting their GP for conditions that can be appropriately managed in the community pharmacy setting.
Builds on the success of 33 community pharmacies in Wales who have delivered more than 16,000 consultations through independent prescribing (IP) service up until June 2021.
Agreed conditions include – Herpes Zoster, Otitis Media, COPD exacerbation, respiratory tract infections, impetigo, UTI, Gout, asthma exacerbation, dyspepsia, nausea and vomiting, vertigo.

FACT - No - nothing could be further from the truth. Pharmacists work collaboratively with their local GP each and every day. Nothing will replace a GP, but we know ‘Doctor Block’ is a real issues. Recent research in North Queensland revealed that more than a third of vulnerable minorities in North Queensland – including people with a disability, First Nations people and culturally and linguistically diverse people – have had to go to emergency due to lack of general practitioner (GP) access. The Pilot will see a pharmacists' scope of practice remain significantly narrower than both a GP and a nurse practitioner. This Pilot recognises that there are some conditions that could be triaged appropriately in a community pharmacy setting.

News Articles

SA parliamentary committee to explore how pharmacists could dispense medication for UTIs

The South Australian parliament will explore how pharmacists could provide medication for some urinary tract infections without the need for a doctor's prescription, following similar moves interstate.

NSW Minister backs pharmacists prescribing as patients struggle to get GP appointments

Pharmacists in NSW may soon be able to prescribe antibiotics for urinary tract infections, eliminating the need for a GP visit, as part of wider reforms being considered by the state government to ease pressure on the health system.

Who will benefit from NSW plan to let pharmacists prescribe medicines

State government commits to cautious and careful pilot. Here’s what is proposed and what we know about similar schemes elsewhere.

Community pharmacies are changing for the better!

See what your pharmacist can do for you!

Better outcomes for everyone

Find out what’s coming to your state!

Send a letter to the Minister for Health

Let the Government know you want access to more pharmacy services in your state.

Do you want a broader range of pharmacy services available in your state?

The benefits for you and your family

Better access to primary care services

Reduce the burden on GPs and hospitals

Reduce unnecessary hospitalisations

The Face of Pharmacy is Changing

Full Scope Pharmacy Pilot - Mythbusting Facts

Myths

Facts

Myths

Facts

Myths

Facts

News Articles

SA parliamentary committee to explore how pharmacists could dispense medication for UTIs

NSW Minister backs pharmacists prescribing as patients struggle to get GP appointments

Who will benefit from NSW plan to let pharmacists prescribe medicines

Community pharmacies are changing for the better!

See what your pharmacist can do for you!

Better outcomes for everyone

Subscribe for updates

Enter your details below to subscribe for updates about pharmacist scope of practice changes near you.

Thank you for registering your interest, we will keep you up to date on the pilot.

Find out what’s coming to your state!

Send a letter to the Minister for Health

Let the Government know you want access to more pharmacy services in your state.

Thank you for registering your interest, we will keep you up to date on the pilot.

Do you want a broader range of pharmacy services available in your state?

The benefits for you and your family

Better access to primary care services

Reduce the burden on GPs and hospitals

Reduce unnecessary hospitalisations

The Face of Pharmacy is Changing

Full Scope Pharmacy Pilot - Mythbusting Facts

Myths

Facts

Myths

Facts

Myths

Facts

MYTH - Pharmacists don’t have the skills to provide additional services

MYTH - Full scope services won’t provide patients with better, more timely access to care

MYTH - The cost savings will be negligible

MYTH - Full scope is a new concept

MYTH - Pharmacists are trying to replace GPs

News Articles

SA parliamentary committee to explore how pharmacists could dispense medication for UTIs

NSW Minister backs pharmacists prescribing as patients struggle to get GP appointments

Who will benefit from NSW plan to let pharmacists prescribe medicines