NO BARRIERS exist to prevent prescribing being included within a pharmacist's scope of practice, the Pharmacy Board of Australia believes.
In a position paper released yesterday the Board noted there was strong support for pharmacist prescribing in both the community and hospital settings, under a structured arrangement and under supervision - two of the three models outlined in the Health Professionals Prescribing Pathway 2013 (HPPP).
The announcement came a day after the Australian Medical Association issued its minimum standards for prescribing, which it claimed ruled out pharmacist prescribing.
The Board concluded that under the National Law there were no regulatory barriers in place for pharmacists to be able to prescribe in two of those models of care within a collaborative healthcare environment, via a structured prescribing arrangement or under supervision.
However, the Board stated its view that autonomous prescribing by pharmacists would require additional regulation via an endorsement for scheduled medicines.
"This would require the Board to make an application to the Ministerial Council for approval of endorsement for scheduled medicines under section 14 of the National Law and to develop a registration standard for endorsement of registration," the Board said.
"The Board is not making an application for approval of endorsement for scheduled medicines at this time."
The announcement has been welcomed by the profession, with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia saying it outlined a clear pathway and process to achieve autonomous pharmacist prescribing.
Guild National President, George Tambasss, urged the Board to take the next step to empower pharmacists to prescribe autonomously.
"Quite clearly, autonomous pharmacist prescribing would improve access to treatment options for conditions that can be managed by a pharmacist -- including after hours and on weekends when access to other health care professionals is limited or non-existent," he said.
"If pharmacist prescribing is to contribute to the delivery of sustainable, responsive and affordable access to medicines then it has to be autonomous, and we should proceed with the work required to achieve this."
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