DOCTORS are warning of "risks to safety and health resourcing" if the scope of practice of other health professionals such as pharmacists is inappropriately expanded, saying "inappropriate scope creep for the purposes of trying to fill service gaps is a major threat to the health of the community".
A submission from the Australian Medical Association (AMA) to the current Department of Health scope of practice review says any reform must focus on collaboration.
AMA President Steve Robson said Australia has a very good healthcare system, and "the last thing it needs are band-aid solutions that will result in worse health outcomes for Australians".
"What we don't want to see is more health professions trying to carve out independent roles, which inevitably results in more fragmented care, waste and higher long-term health system costs."
"We need to build on the strengths of our healthcare system, recognising the skills that different healthcare professions bring to the care of a patient," he said.
At the same time, there is a need to ensure any care takes place in a well-coordinated model that is guided by a doctor's medical diagnosis, asserted Robson.
The submission also highlights that while there are many robust processes in place to allow health professions to expand their scope of practice, they are being ignored by state ministers.
These decisions bypass the processes of the Health Professions Prescribing Pathway and undermine the role of the TGA, he added.
"We need to see consistency across states and a commitment to the agreed-upon pathways.
"We don't want to see more examples of industry lobby groups deciding their own National Board's position on the scope of a profession is not to their liking, and working with the states to undermine that," Robson said. JG
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