About the pilot
The aim of the pilot is to improve access to high-quality health services throughout Queensland, particularly in regional and rural communities.
Pharmacists are highly qualified and trusted members of our healthcare teams. Providing pharmacists with additional clinical training and supporting them to practice to their full scope, will enable them to help and support their local communities.
Background
The aim of the Queensland Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot (the pilot) is to increase access to high-quality, integrated, and cost-effective primary healthcare services for Queensland communities.
The Australian Government Productivity Commission and the Queensland Government report, Unleashing the potential: an open and equitable health system, identified that using pharmacists and other health professionals to their full scope of practice is an efficient and effective way to improve access to healthcare delivery and lessen the impacts of workforce shortages and distribution problems, particularly in regional and rural communities.
The Queensland Government has a current election commitment to work with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, and other stakeholders to design and implement a pilot of pharmacists practicing to their full scope in North Queensland. On 25 September 2023, the Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services and Minister for Women announced the expansion of the pilot to the entire state to improve healthcare access for all Queenslanders, regardless of where they live.
The Pilot will evaluate how an expanded role for community pharmacists can assist to increase access to high-quality primary health care for Queensland communities. The Department has engaged Deloitte to undertake a comprehensive service evaluation of the pilot, aligned to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare dimensions of system performance: accessibility, continuity, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability, appropriateness and safety.
Pilot scope
The pilot's scope has been determined following extensive research, planning, and consultation with key stakeholders, including consumer representative groups, and peak medical and pharmacy organisations.
The pilot enables participating pharmacists to undertake additional medicines management and prescribing activities including:
Medication management
Therapeutic adaptation and substitution and continued dispensing
Autonomous prescribing for specified acute conditions and health and wellbeing services
- Gastro-oesophageal reflux and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
- Acute nausea and vomiting
- Allergic and nonallergic rhinitis
- Impetigo
- Herpes zoster (shingles)
- Mild to moderate atopic dermatitis
- Acute exacerbations of mild plaque psoriasis
- Mild to moderate acne
- Acute wound management
- Acute diffuse otitis externa
- Acute otitis media
- Acute mild musculoskeletal pain and inflammation
- Smoking cessation
- Hormonal contraception
- Oral health screening and fluoride application
- Travel health
- Management of overweight and obesity
Protocol/structured prescribing as part of a chronic disease management program
- Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Program for type 2 diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidaemia
- Improved Asthma (and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction) Symptom Program
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Monitoring Program
Are pharmacists qualified to provide the extra services?
Pharmacists are highly qualified health professionals. Most pharmacists in Australia have successfully completed a 4-year university degree, followed by a 1-year supervised internship. Once registered with the Pharmacy Board of Australia, pharmacists commit to ongoing professional development each year, ensuing they maintain current knowledge and skills.
Participating pharmacists have completed additional training to ensure they are able to safely manage the conditions included. This includes completion of prescribing training and clinical practice training, delivered by accredited education providers.
Need more information?
For further information about participating in the Pilot, please email QLD-PharmacyScopePilot@health.qld.gov.au.