WITH every expansion of scope, there will always be voices who misunderstand, underestimate or misrepresent what pharmacists are trained to do.
It is fair to say that there may also be a little confusion within the pharmacy sector.
Pharmacists are highly trained medicine experts.
Every registered pharmacist needs a university degree, supervised practical placement, national exams, and ongoing CPD requirements.
Prescribing pharmacists undertake additional university training, which includes theory and practical sessions that teach a new way to engage with patients - clinical assessment, differential diagnosis, mandatory protocols and treatment and referral pathways.
To pass, pharmacists must successfully complete an OSCE (Objective Structures Clinical Evaluation), which assesses clinical skills, communication and decision-making.
It is not an easy process - nor can it be an easy process.
For pharmacists to be able to deliver these additional services, to assess, diagnose and treat a range of everyday and long-term health conditions, it is right that the training is comprehensive and challenging.
But it is so worth it - being able to do more to support patients to stay healthy is incredibly rewarding.
When someone presents with earache, I listen carefully, take a comprehensive history, examine the ear and consider appropriate treatment options.
Through this training, I have strengthened my ability to recognise red-flag conditions such as mastoiditis, neuralgia and other presentations that require urgent referral rather than pharmacy management.
Where it is clinically appropriate, prescribing pharmacists can prescribe medication.
This change is about complementing, not competing with GPs.
Pharmacists and GPs share patients, share clinical responsibility, and share the goal of improving health outcomes.
When misinformation circulates, it confuses patients and destabilises trust in the whole healthcare system.
Pharmacists have earned their place as trusted primary care providers - it is time the conversation reflected that.
Professor Trent Twomey is the national president of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
This column is part of a series on expanded scope of practice - send questions to scope@guild.org.au.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 08 Apr 26
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