The National Council of Primary Care Doctors (NCPD) has written to the Minister for Health Queensland opposing the proposed pilot for an expanded scope of practice by Community Pharmacists in North Queensland.
The National Council of Primary Care Doctors represents general practice and primary care in Australia. It is comprised of the leaders of the AMA, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Rural Doctors Association of Australia, Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, General Practice Supervisors Australia, General Practice Registrars Australia and Australian Indigenous Doctors Association.
The letter highlights that pharmacists, while experts in medication, do not have the training and experience of medical practitioners necessary to diagnose and manage people with chronic conditions. The NCPD’s strongly worded letter emphasises how models of care such as prescribed by the pilot would fragment care, leading to higher health care costs and poorer health outcomes, and stipulates the conflict of interest of allowing pharmacists to not only diagnose but then sell patients medication based on their diagnosis.
With the pilot to be run in North Queensland where there is a high population of Aboriginal Torres Strait Island people, many of whom have very complex health care needs and comorbidities, there are grave concerns about the risks the pilot poses to their health and well being.
All these concerns prompting the NCPCD to recommend immediate cessation of the pilot.
