Francesca Rudkin: The next step in expanding the role of pharmacists

So, some good news this morning. If in the weekend you noticed the kids have developed conjunctivitis, or you had an unexpectedly good time over the weekend and now need the emergency pill or help with a UTI.  Today is the day that changes to the services which pharmacists can provide kicks in, meaning pharmacists will be able to provide funded medicines for pain and fever management for children, oral rehydration, and treatment for conditions such as scabies, head lice, and conjunctivitis, as well as treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections and emergency contraception.  This is a really sensible move.  Instead of waiting for a GP appointment, paying for a GP appointment, or paying over the counter prices for treatments, you can head to your local chemist where your pharmacists will now be funded to provide a consultation, and supply a funded treatment at a low cost.  The benefits are obvious – patients can get more affordable care quickly, and close to home, while taking pressure off GPs and emergency departments. Only time will tell us how much this move impacts our overloaded primary care services, but on paper it looks like a win-win-win for pharmacies, GPs and patients.  But now it gets a little bit more interesting – and complicated.  Associate Health Minister David Seymour has been driving this change, along with the Health Minister Simeon Brown; but Seymour wants to take things further and allow pharmacies to treat more everyday conditions such as chest and ear infections, help manage long-term medication and order routine blood tests when appropriate, and provide skin lesion triage and monitoring.  Now, Seymour isn’t reinventing the wheel with these ideas – these proposals align with international trends which are seeing healthcare become more of a team effort. But these further proposals will require considerable additional training, strict clinical guidelines for pharmacist to operate under, and GPs will need to retain overall clinical oversight. Most importantly, pharmacists would need to know when to treat and when to refer.  It sounds like a logical next step, but one which will require a lot more work to get into action than what is launching today.   The management of long-term medications for stable, low-risk patients seems the most easily achievable of the ideas – many pharmacists are already assisting with monitoring, renewals, and support. Extending their responsibilities here could absolutely streamline care, and cost for patients.  Branching into diagnosing chest infections or skin cancer would come with greater risks; like inappropriate antibiotic prescribing and missed diagnoses if pharmacist services are not well-regulated and connected to patients' health records.  So today’s move is a great use of existing health professionals to make the system more efficient and affordable. The next step is going to require careful consideration, and considerable investment to make it work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.