This week we raised serious concerns about the Pharmacy Board of Australia’s proposal to endorse pharmacists to prescribe restricted medicines, warning that the model poses a risk to public health and lacks the safeguards expected in Australia’s regulatory environment.
These are just some of the red flags detailed in our submission to the Pharmacy Board’s consultation on endorsement for scheduled medicines for pharmacists.
In both our media release and submission, we made clear that the proposal would allow pharmacists, with significantly less clinical experience than doctors, to prescribe Schedule 4 and Schedule 8 medicines. Australian Pharmacy Council–accredited prescriber programs provide around 700–800 hours of training, including an estimated 120–150 hours of clinical experience, while medical practitioners complete more than 5,000 hours of supervised, real‑world clinical experience before prescribing independently.
The Pharmacy Board’s proposal lacks the rigour required to protect patients and is inconsistent with Therapeutic Goods Administration scheduling principles. The Board’s approach differs markedly from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, which requires substantial clinical experience and strong collaborative structures for nurse prescribers — a contrast that underscores the weaknesses in the current proposal.
The submission, informed by more than 300 members across every state and territory, warns that the Board has not provided adequate evidence, risk analysis, or safeguards around conflicts of interest. Members emphasised that prescribing is not a transactional task, but a clinical decision grounded in diagnosis, risk assessment, and continuity of care. We reiterated that high‑quality healthcare relies on comprehensive diagnostic training and clinical experience, not simply the ability to issue prescriptions.
We have urged the Board to reconsider its approach and ensure that any prescribing model maintains the standards, safety, and clinical depth expected across Australia’s health system.
