Source : Perth Now news
People in NSW will be able to skirt around the usual GP clinic wait times to seek treatment for everyday health conditions at a pharmacy.
The new trial announced by the Minns Labor government on Thursday will give pharmacies permission to treat ear infections and wounds and help patients deal with chronic conditions like high blood pressure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
As well, 250 additional pharmacies across the state will become qualified to provide the oral contraceptive pill and treat conditions like nausea and vomiting, reflux, rhinitis, and musculoskeletal pain and acne.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said the changes meant “more options for patients, more care available in local communities and more GP appointments available for people who really need them”.
“For most people, their local pharmacy is one of the easiest parts of the health system to access, and we’re making better use of the skills and training pharmacists already have,” he said.
Speaking to the Pharmacy Guild of Australia on Thursday, Mr Minns said his government had inherited a health system on its knees.
“If you turned up to any big public hospital on a Sunday afternoon, our doctors and nurses were getting hit hard, with thousands of patients every week, and many were getting up and walking out before they got treated at all,” he said.
“If it means more people get effective healthcare while taking pressure off our public hospitals, if it means more innovative ways of delivering lifesaving treatments to the people of NSW, we will not put our cue in the rack and say mission accomplished.”
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said pharmacies were “an important point of care for members of the community” and the proposed reforms would “ensure they can deliver more health services for people”.
The government said regular GP visits remained an essential part of childhood healthcare and shouldn’t be completely supplemented by trips to the pharmacy.
The announcement builds on previous reforms that allow trained pharmacists to treat urinary tract infections, resupply hormonal contraception and provide care for minor skin conditions including eczema, shingles, impetigo and psoriasis.
More to come
