The investment, to be included in the 2026/27 state budget, will allow a significantly larger cohort of pharmacists to undertake the required specialised training, equipping them to deliver patient services under EACPP.
This announcement adds to the current cohort of eighty (80) community pharmacists undertaking subsidised EACPP training.
In announcing the investment this morning, Western Australian Minister for Health, Hon Meredith Hammat MLA outlined the WA Government’s commitment to increasing patient access to pharmacist-led primary healthcare services.
The WA Branch thanks the Minister for Health and the Western Australian government for today’s announcement, which will significantly increase patient access to qualified pharmacists authorised to assess, manage and prescribe appropriate medicines for a range of conditions. (1)
The WA Branch has engaged extensively with the WA government on the development of the EACPP, with the objective of delivering patient safety and increased accessibility to health care.
Community pharmacy is a statewide network of seven hundred (700) locations, operating over extended hours, providing timely and convenient access to medicines and primary health care to over a million patients each week. Ninety-three percent (93%) of community pharmacies are open on weekends. It makes absolute sense to better utilise this network.
The potential benefits of EACPP are evident in programs such as through the Western Australian government’s authorisation of Pharmacist Initiated Treatment of Urinary Tract Infection. Since its introduction in August 2023, more than 22,000 Western Australian women have accessed timely treatment and medicines through a community pharmacy.
The WA Branch will continue to work collaboratively with both the Western Australian government and the WA Department of Health to support the continued development of contemporary, patient centred healthcare for Western Australians.
Our vision is for the continued expansion of the EACPP and for its transition into permanent pharmacy practice. This would not only deliver direct benefits to patients but also help reduce pressure on the state’s hospital emergency departments and the GP network.