NEW Zealand's Pharmaceutical Management Agency, PHARMAC, is calling on pharmacists and other stakeholders to provide input relating to proposals around nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and emergency contraceptive pill (levonorgestrel tablets) (ECP).
The proposal would give pharmacists the ability to provide some funded pharmaceuticals without a prescription.
This would involve making amendments to the Pharmaceutical Schedule rules to allow pharmacists to independently authorise subsidy for certain pharmaceuticals.
It doesn't involve any changes to other prescribing rights or pharmacist scope of practice, but would create a national framework for consistency across the nation, PHARMAC said.
These would supersede local District Health Board arrangements for the provision of NRT and the ECP through pharmacies in their area, outside of the Pharmaceutical Schedule.
This consultation closes at 5.00pm on Fri, 18 Aug 2017 and submissions can be emailed to consult@pharmac.govt.nz.
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