Queensland Business Support and Pharmacy Programs

From the 1^st July 2023, ODT medicines became available as part of the Section 100 Highly Specialised Drugs (Community Access) arrangements, meaning that ODT medicines will now be prescribed, ordered, supplied (dispensed) and remunerated like other PBS medicines under these arrangements.

In 2020, the Palaszczuk Labor Government made a pre-election commitment to implement a trial of community pharmacists practising to full scope of practice in North Queensland. The Guild is now working hard to formalise the framework and parameters for the pilot.

On 17 July 2023, the Queensland Government announced that all Queensland residents, from 6 months of age, would be eligible to receive a free flu vaccine from Saturday 22 July 2023. This comes as the state faces a severe outbreak of Influenza B and low influenza vaccination uptake.

The Queensland Community Pharmacy National Immunisation Program (NIP) has allowed a select group of Queensland community pharmacies to access and administer NIP-funded influenza vaccines to Queenslanders aged 65 years and over.

Guild members can access a range of guidelines and resources that can help implement and maintain a pharmacist-led vaccination service in a Queensland community pharmacy.

The Guild Corporate Vaccination Program is a Guild-facilitated influenza vaccination program open to Guild member pharmacies.

The Program offers an economical and convenient way for employers to facilitate influenza vaccinations in the workplace.

Learn more about how you can participate in Guild Corporate Health opportunities including the Corporate Vaccination Program.

The Guild Queensland Branch hosts regular member-only educational webinars and briefings covering a range of topics including COVID-19, industrial relations advice, industry updates and more.

Following the conclusion of the successful Urinary Tract Infection Pharmacy Pilot – Queensland (UTIPP-Q), this model of care for the treatment of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) by community pharmacists has transitioned to permanent practice.

The Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 (MPA) and Therapeutic Goods Act 2019 (TG Act) and the supporting regulations, Medicines and Poisons (Medicines) Regulation 2021 came into effect on 27 September 2021.

From 1 January 2023, voluntary assisted dying will be available to eligible Queenslanders. Voluntary assisted dying gives people who are suffering and dying, and who meet eligibility criteria, the option of requesting medical assistance to end their lives.

Preparing for a natural disaster is an essential business component for all Queensland pharmacies where storms, floods, and cyclones are not unusual. Understanding which natural disasters or severe weather events are likely to occur in your area will help you prepare for events that are most likely to impact your business. Queensland Guild members can access resources here to help plan for such emergencies.

This program aims to reduce the incidence of blood-borne viruses and injecting related injuries and disease, by supplying sterile injecting equipment to injecting drug users with the aim of ensuring users do not share needles.