With the New South Wales (NSW) Government’s recent announcement of pharmacists across the state to practice to their full scope, the AMAQ has again manufactured lies about the North Queensland Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot, the non-complex Urinary Tract Infection Pharmacy Pilot – Queensland (UTIPP-Q) and now permanent UTI health service.
Queensland Branch President, Chris Owen, has called for the AMAQ to start focusing on achieving better health outcomes for patients instead of continually perpetuating lies about community pharmacists.
“Firstly, I congratulate the NSW Government for joining Queensland on the journey to pharmacist full scope of practice,” Mr Owen said, “It is disappointing, yet not surprising, that AMAQ uses this positive announcement to fabricate information and misinform patients across both Queensland and New South Wales.”
“If AMAQ had a clear understanding of the North Queensland Pharmacy Pilot, they would realise that pharmacists are not replacing general practitioners, as falsely stated. But are working collaboratively as primary healthcare professionals for the betterment of patients.”
“AMAQ’s labelling of pharmacists as untrained is appalling and downright degrading. The need to continually rebut AMAQ’s statements about community pharmacist’s education and training is tiring but necessary.”
“Community pharmacists have undertaken a four-year accredited university degree, a one-year internship, two registration exams as well as maintain annual professional development. Education and training for pharmacists to provide health services within the UTIPP-Q and North Queensland Pharmacy Pilot is in addition to the years of training and on-the-job clinical experience as a community pharmacist.”
“Pharmacists taking part in the North Queensland Pharmacy Pilot are required to undergo further post-graduate level training over a 12-month period, which includes supervised practice hours and a structured clinical exam – not the few hours per week as concocted by AMAQ.”
“AMAQ continues to reference their discredited survey as ‘evidence’ against Queensland community pharmacists providing the UTI health service to women and practicing to their full scope.”
“Over 6,500 Queensland women accessed the UTI health service during the UTIPP-Q and 87% of patients reported resolution of UTI symptoms following antibiotic treatment prescribed by their local community pharmacist.”
“Almost 1,000 emergency department presentations were prevented by having the UTI service available through Queensland community pharmacies.”
“AMAQ has no clinical evidence, and all formal sources report the success of the UTIPP-Q service. The independent outcome report and the Queensland Government found the UTIPP-Q was of significant value because of improved accessibility to primary healthcare services and, as a result, the UTI health service was implemented as a permanent pharmacy service.”
“With state-wide headlines in the past week reporting on Queenslanders’ inability to find a bulk-billing GP, it is time for the AMAQ to cease their lies and instead work together to ensure Queenslanders have access to much needed primacy healthcare services.”
“Time and again, AMAQ and RACGP, have cried out about over-worked and burnt-out GPs who are at tipping point. Community pharmacists can and should provide more primary healthcare services to Queensland. AMAQ and RACGP can’t keep talking about a GP crisis and then object to solutions put forward just because it’s not their idea!”
“The North Queensland Pharmacy Pilot is one solution amongst many to begin reforming public healthcare services in Queensland and improve access to GPs, decrease ambulance ramping and reduce emergency department presentations.”