Pharmacy Daily | Expanded scope support

THE Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, has announced strong support for the "expanded role of pharmacists in improving the management of chronic disease and illness and in the provision of government healthcare programs".

Palaszczuk was addressing more than 110 parliamentarians, Guild members and pharmacy industry representatives attending the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Queensland Branch, Parliamentary Dinner at Queensland Parliament House this week.

"We also acknowledge the important contribution of pharmacists working to the top of their scope of practice to firmly grasp this critical role in preventative care and the management of chronic disease," Palaszczuk said.

Opposition leader, Deb Frecklington, also spoke of the Liberal National Party (LNP)commitment to the Queensland health system.

"Pharmacists are on the health frontline," she said.

"No-one else spends more time interacting with patients and supporting them than pharmacists.

"The LNP is determined to engage constructively with every professional organisation in our health system because improving the health of all Queenslanders is our common goal."

Queensland Branch President and National Senior Vice President, Trent Twomey, reiterated the significant role all 1,140 community pharmacy's across Queensland have in delivering primary health care.

"Each week 305,000 Queenslanders visit a community pharmacy, that's 15.8 million individual visits a year, which is more visits than to a General Practice or a Community Controlled Health Organisation, in fact it is more visits than a bank, a post office or a community club, Twomey argued.

"There are some 6,000 registered pharmacists and 16,000 pharmacy assistants that have under-utilised skills and knowledge; they need to be able to perform more, to do more and to deliver more to Queenslanders," he concluded.