The territory’s government has announced that it will expand the role of community pharmacists, but the details are yet to be decided.
The Northern Territory is following in the footsteps of the rest of the country by expanding pharmacists’ scope of practice.
Last week, the NT government announced that it was taking the “common sense” step to improve access to medication for Territorians, by expanding the role of community pharmacists.
In line with most other parts of the country, the expansion “could” include “access to treatments for common ailments such as acute nausea and vomiting, impetigo (school sores), mild to moderate allergic skin conditions and simple wounds and ear infections”, said the government.
Speaking to The Medical Republic, NT minister for health Selena Uibo said the reforms planned to bring the territory in line with the rest of the country to ensure Territorians could access the same benefits as other Australians.
“Across Australia there is a shortage of GPs, and the NT is competing with other states who may offer other lifestyle incentives,” she said.
“We are continuing to actively recruit for GPs in our urban, regional and remote locations – however, the expansion of pharmacy services will help to alleviate pressure on primary care services as well as hospital emergency departments.”
Ms Uibo said the changed would take place in the “near future, following a process of clinical approvals”.
“These will be permanent changes wherever it is clinically safe to do so, to improve access to treatments,” said told TMR.
The expansion may also include increased vaccine availability and emergency medication within pharmacies.
“The future of community pharmacies could also see more vaccines available, as well as an increase in the range of medicines that can be supplied by a pharmacist in an emergency if a patient’s prescription runs out, or medicines have been lost,” said the government.
The territory has opened a consultation for Territorians to provide feedback on what should be included in the expanded scope before 7 August.
The Pharmacy Guild has, unsurprisingly, expressed its support.
“We applaud the NT Government’s decision to expand pharmacy services,” said the Guild’s NT branch president Peter Hatswell.
“This will significantly enhance healthcare access for Territorians, particularly in remote areas where medical services can be limited.
“It’s a positive step towards better health outcomes for our community.”
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Speaking to newsGP, RACGP Rural Council Deputy Chair Dr Rod Omond was less convinced.
“Pharmacists are not trained to do diagnosis, and there’s always a risk that misdiagnosis may occur with untrained people,” he said.
“It won’t help people out, like Indigenous people in remote communities, at all, because there are no pharmacies in those communities and no pharmacists.”
The RACGP has continuously expressed concern over moves to expand scope of practice across the health sector, as has the AMA.
Dr Omond said ensuring medical students had more general practice experience during training and that junior doctors were better supported would be a positive way to improve primary care outside of pharmacy.
