Expanding the range of services community pharmacies can provide throughout the Northern Territory would be a major boost in providing accessible healthcare to the Territory’s residents. It would ensure easier availability to a broader range of health services by allowing pharmacists to work to their full scope of practice.
This would align the Territory with other parts of Australia, and indeed many countries throughout the world - including the UK, Canada, and New Zealand - in ensuring patients have easy, affordable and timely access to the health services they need.
Community pharmacists in the Territory believes bipartisan support for such a proposal would see appropriately trained community pharmacists able to provide additional services to patients for up to 21 conditions, including urinary tract infection (UTIs), school sores, shingles, wound management, asthma, swimmer’s ear, travel vaccines and hypertension.
Seeing community pharmacists able to provide antibiotic treatment for uncomplicated UTIs means a patient suffering from a UTI would be able to go to their pharmacy for treatment immediately, rather than waiting – often in pain – until they could get in to see their GP, or were forced to go to the over-loaded emergency department of their local hospital.
Under full scope of practice initiatives, thousands of Australian women have been treated for uncomplicated UTIs in community pharmacies. In other services, thousands of women have been issued a repeat prescription for the oral contraceptive pill and these examples underscore the trust and demand for community pharmacy-based healthcare.
The move towards community pharmacists working to their full scope of practice would be embraced in the Territory. Data by independent research agency Insightfully has shown that nine out of 10 Territorians support such a move, with 84 per cent having total trust in their community pharmacist.
The convenience and accessibility of being able to see a trained health professional in a pharmacy is clear. Community pharmacies are almost always open longer hours than GP surgeries, and often at weekends, meaning that Territorians won’t have to endure some of the longest wait times in the country to see a GP. The Insightfully research shows the number of Territorians waiting up to three weeks to see their GP is rising, and now stands at around 16 per cent.
Being able to see their pharmacist for immediate treatment is a logical, safe and pragmatic solution, and one which frees GPs up to deal with more complex patient issues while also easing the pressure on emergency departments.
Some may ask if pharmacists are qualified to provide these additional services. The answer quite simply is Yes.
Pharmacists are the healthcare experts in medicines and have the training and professional responsibility to ensure that medicines are used safely, effectively, and judiciously. They have a unique and complex knowledge and skill base in this area.
In addition, pharmacists have comprehensive training in disease prevention, management, and treatment. There is robust evidence of savings to the health system through pharmacists using these skills, particularly in managing long-term conditions through the quality use of medicines.
Under full scope of practice, community pharmacists undertake any additional training needed to treat and manage their patients. And as always, if they have any concerns, they refer the patient to their GP or other appropriate healthcare professional.
A full scope of practice proposal is a sound and commendable policy. It is a win-win-win, a win for patients, a win for the healthcare system and a win for the Territory.
Written by Peter Hatswell, NT Branch President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
