South Australians can now access round-the-clock care at three community pharmacies, with Chemist Warehouse extending operating hours to 24/7 at two of its sites in the north and south of Adelaide from today.
The pharmacies – located at the Saints Shopping Centre in Salisbury Plain and on South Road at Clovelly Park – follow closely on the heels of National Pharmacies in Norwood which became the state’s first 24/7 pharmacy last month.
The Malinauskas Labor Government has invested $2.5 million a year to deliver the three 24-hour pharmacies, meeting an election commitment which will provide increased access to health advice and medicines and help reduce avoidable presentations to busy hospital emergency departments.
Before this important initiative, emergency departments and the Urgent Mental Health Care Centre were the only walk-in health services open around the clock.
A pharmacist will be on staff 24 hours a day at each of the three pharmacies to provide specialist health advice, dispense medicines and provide professional pharmacy services.
The three pharmacies also have added security including on-site security guards overnight.
The state’s first 24-hour pharmacy – National Pharmacies at Norwood – has reported strong demand for after-hours medication and health advice, with more than 1400 people visiting the store from 10pm to 8am since launching 24/7 services on 4 February.
Its afterhours pharmacists have been providing first aid/wound care services, blood pressure checks, advice on how to use medical devices like asthma spacers, dispensing medication to patients discharged from hospital late at night, advice on UTI queries, and providing COVID treatments – where hours matter.
Women and parents are tending to use the 24/7 pharmacy the most, followed by seniors and young adults.
Customers are very happy with the round-the-clock opening hours, referring to pharmacists as “life savers” for being accessible when they need them most.
The 24/7 pharmacy hours boost comes as South Australian women can now access advice and medication for a urinary tract infection through a local pharmacy, without needing a doctor’s appointment.
More than 440 pharmacists have now completed additional training to offer the brand-new UTI service, made available at participating South Australian pharmacies from this month.
The initiative, based on similar models in other states, allows South Australian women aged 18-65 with uncomplicated UTIs to speak with a trained community pharmacist for assessment and if appropriate, access to a one-off course of antibiotic treatment without needing a prescription.
From May, eligible women will also be able to visit participating pharmacies to access a resupply of their oral contraceptive pill, without needing to see a doctor for a script.
The new services complement those available through other health providers such as GPs and hospitals, providing access and choice for consumers to get the health advice and care they need quickly.
Members of the public can check with their local pharmacy to see if they’re offering the service.
More information can be found on the SA Health website.
As put by Chris Picton
It’s fantastic to have all three 24-hour pharmacies now open in central, northern and southern Adelaide.
South Australians now have greater access to round-the-clock pharmacy care and medications when they get sick at any time of the day or night.
We’re seeing 40-50 people a night using the after-hours service at National Pharmacies in Norwood, and now people will also be able to access a pharmacist throughout the night in the north and south of Adelaide.
This offers convenience and peace of mind for South Australians across Adelaide and will also help prevent unnecessary emergency department visits, reducing pressure on our busy hospitals.
These new initiatives mean we are able to provide important 24/7 access to a pharmacist, immediate care for women suffering from an uncomplicated UTI and soon we will also offer the added convenience of direct access to a resupply of the Pill.
As put by SA Health Chief Pharmacist Naomi Burgess
The added introduction of improved access to UTI treatment and the incoming changes to allow participating pharmacies to provide a resupply of the Pill, is delivering a major boost to women’s healthcare, putting patients first and providing faster access to support.
The opening of these additional 24/7 pharmacies expands the options for people across metropolitan Adelaide to have access to specialist health advice, medicines and professional pharmacy services around the clock.
Already we have seen the Norwood 24/7 pharmacy provide after-hours access to essential medicines, including pain relief and prescription antibiotics, in addition to providing advice and treatment for allergies and wound care.
These important initiatives deliver flexibility and peace of mind for South Australians by ensuring they have an appropriate option when they get sick and need prompt access to medicine and care.
As put by Chemist Warehouse Store Owner and Pharmacist Philip Colasante
Chemist Warehouse is excited to be working with the South Australian State Government to provide around the clock pharmacy services to more residents living both north and south of the Adelaide city-centre.
As the House of Wellness, we are committed to ensuring accessible and cost-effective wellness solutions and look forward to offering customers at our Clovelly Park and Saints Road Salisbury stores with our full range of pharmacy services and products, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
