On the eve of a policy change which will add 250 more pharmacist prescribers to NSW, the RACGP is once again asking the government what role the Pharmacy Guild played in shaping policy.
The RACGP is now asking New South Wales premier Chris Minns point blank what role the Pharmacy Guild of Australia played in the state’s decision to expand pharmacist-led prescribing into more complex conditions.
It followed hot on the heels of an open letter co-signed by five medical peaks, including the RACGP, which called on the state government to urgently freeze further pharmacist scope of practice expansions.
According to the RACGP, Mr Minns was yet to respond to the letter.
NSW health minister Ryan Park, however, took the time today to announce that up to 250 more pharmacists will have their prescribing qualifications recognised in the state – effective tomorrow.
Previously, only pharmacists with a graduate certificate in prescribing from Queensland’s James Cook University were permitted to undertake some of the more complex tasks under expanded scope of practice trials.
Now, NSW will also recognise equivalent qualifications from the University of Newcastle and the University of Technology Sydney.
These pharmacists, who were expected to complete their course by the end of the year, would be able to initiate oral contraception and prescribe for acute nausea and vomiting, rhinitis, GORD, mild acute musculoskeletal pain, and mild to moderate acne.
“This means more people will be able to walk into their local pharmacy and get treatment for common conditions closer to home, while freeing up GP appointments for patients who need them,” Mr Park’s announcement read.
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According to reporting from the Australian Journal of Pharmacy, the pharmacy guild was taking a similar line.
“Medical lobby groups are determined to ignore the fact that one in four people is waiting an unacceptable time for a GP appointment,” a spokesperson for the guild told the AJP.
“Pharmacist prescribing doesn’t replace GPs. It gives patients another safe, timely option and frees GPs up for complex and chronic cases where their expertise matters most.”
RACGP president Dr Michael Wright questioned this logic.
“The evidence that we are seeing is that access to general practice has never been greater,” he told The Medical Republic.
“Funding general practice gets results because we’ve seen increased access to GPs, more people being able to see their GP, and people putting off seeing a GP has been decreasing.
“All signs are that access is improving, and patients can see a GP when they need to, and so there isn’t a motivation for this, and there certainly isn’t evidence for it.”
Dr Wright called on Mr Minns to explain why, instead of building on the progress spurred by bulk billing investments, he was “pushing a policy that lacks the rigorous evidence expected of major health reforms”.
“Premier Minns announced these reforms at a Pharmacy Guild conference,” Dr Wright said.
“From the outside, this looks like lobbyist-led health policy, plain and simple.
“We are calling on the Premier to release the full details of every meeting, communication and exchange of policy advice involving the Pharmacy Guild about these reforms.
“The public deserves to know whose advice is shaping their healthcare.”
Yesterday, Australian Doctor reported that it had obtained a tranche of emails between senior NSW Ministry of Health staff under freedom of information laws
According to AusDoc, ministers were told in June 2025 about the 2021 TGA ruling which opted against down-scheduling the oral contraceptive pill due to concerns over clotting.
They were also told that pharmacist-led contraceptive prescribing risked missing opportunities for sexual health screening, identifying domestic violence, and diverting women to long-acting reversible contraceptives.
“At the core, this is about patient safety, and that is the fundamental thing that drives us in the health system,” Dr Wright said.
“From the moment that we heard that the pharmacy board was looking at changing, was having a consultation, all of our claims and all of our discussions have been motivated by patient safety and quality.
“And I know we keep talking about it, but that is something that just doesn’t get tired because that’s at the core of what we do as GPs and our responsibility to the health system.”
