Health Minister Greg Hunt considering 'supervised prescribing' by pharmacists

Sydney Morning Herald

17 October 2019 - Health Minister Greg Hunt is considering "supervised prescribing" by pharmacists to ease pressure on the health system and free up GP appointments, after receiving the green light from the regulator.

Mr Hunt told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age he had directed the Chief Medical Officer, Brendan Murphy, to examine the proposal, a move which comes as the powerful Pharmacy Guild continues to push for unsupervised prescribing of common medications like the contraceptive pill and travel vaccinations.

The Pharmacy Board, which regulates the profession to protect public safety, said in a position paper released this week that pharmacists are adequately trained to prescribe under supervision, with "any gaps in competencies" able to be addressed through continuing education.

Read Sydney Morning Herald article

Michael Wonder

Posted by:

Michael Wonder