QUEENSLAND Health has confirmed it will operate a state-wide trial seeing pharmacists provide low-risk emergency and repeat prescriptions for the contraceptive pill and antibiotics for urinary tract infections.
The move follows last year's Qld Parliamentary Inquiry into the establishment of a pharmacy council and ownership (PD 17 Oct 2018), with the state government yesterday publishing its response to the recommendations.
Implementation of an extended role for pharmacists in medication management, including additions to the scope of immunisations provided and issuing low-risk emergency and repeat prescriptions, will require legislative changes, with the government to "review and evaluate proven models from similar health systems for relevance to Queensland".
Other recommendations accepted include progressing legislative change which would allow Qld pharmacy assistants to handle Schedule 8 drugs, allowing them to participate in the receipt and stocking of dangerous medications.
Training requirements for community and hospital pharmacy assistants will also be reviewed so that those working in both sectors of the industry undergo the same mandatory basic training.
A recommendation for the establishment of a Queensland Pharmacy Advisory Council has also been accepted, with this new body to provide expert advice to the Minister on ownership and premises standards.
The Council would be funded on a cost recovery basis by the pharmacy sector, and be consulted by the Department of Health on matters including managing transfers of pharmacy ownership and changes to scope of practice for pharmacists and pharmacy assistants.
The Government also accepted a recommendation for the implementation of a risk-based strategy for testing that existing commercial arrangements for pharmacy ownership in Qld are in compliance with the law.
Queensland Health will undertake a wide-ranging review of all transfers relating to current pharmacy ownership arrangements "to ensure equitable application of pharmacy ownership regulation across the sector".
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 18 Apr 19
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