WESTERN Australia is the latest state to move towards greater access to care from community pharmacists, with WA Minister for Health Meredith Hammat announcing 17 common acute and chronic conditions that will soon be treatable by qualified pharmacists.
Opening the Pharmacy WA Forum yesterday, Hammat (pictured)advised delegates that community pharmacists will be able to diagnose, treat and prescribe appropriate Schedule 4 medicines for a broad range of conditions through the Enhanced Access Community Pharmacy Pilot.
The first group of WA pharmacists are preparing to start the necessary training in prescribing and clinical practice and will be able to deliver the pilot services towards the end of 2026.
Pharmacy Guild of Australia WA Branch President, Andrew Ngeow, welcomed the announcement.
"Community pharmacy, as a sector, looks forward to being able to deliver a broader range of services into the future, in every metropolitan and regional area of Western Australia," Ngeow said.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) WA President Kristian Ray also hailed the announcement, saying it reflects the growing role of pharmacists in providing timely, accessible care for more health concerns.
"Empowering pharmacists to practice to our full scope means giving our community access to timely care, when and where they need it," Ray said.
"Today's announcement demonstrates just how much more pharmacists can do to support patients, building on the overwhelmingly positive evidence from pilots in Queensland and internationally.
"WA pharmacists are ready to deliver the same high-quality care to our communities," he concluded.
Conditions covered include:
asthma
smoking cessation
shingles
impetigo
skin conditions
mild, acute musculoskeletal pain
allergic and nonallergic rhinitis
ear infections
acute nausea and vomiting
acute minor wound management
gastrooesophageal reflux/disease
hormonal contraception
weight loss and management of obesity
oral health risk assessment and fluoride application. KB
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