Enough whingeing – why shouldn’t pharmacists diagnose illness, prescribe drugs and take out your appendix?
Doctors who have spent the best part of their adult lives studying medicine are not ideally placed to diagnose your medical disorders, it has emerged.
“We’re aware that doctors typically spend years studying medicine at university, and that once qualified they go on to complete rigorous post-graduate training in their chosen speciality,” a spokesperson for Queensland Health told TMR.
“What’s your point?”
If you do happen to have hypertension or type 2 diabetes, COPD or a UTI then the Queensland government strongly recommends that you see a pharmacist.
Likewise, if you have a problem with your car you should visit carpet world and if your cat is ill you should try giving Jim’s Airconditioning a call.
The fact that a doctor will stuff up from time to time is all the more reason for people with no formal training in diagnosing conditions to step up and have a go.
“The health system is made up of a lot of different health professionals, and I am supportive of making sure that those health professionals can operate at the scope that they’re trained for,” the state Health Minister Yvette D’Ath told reporters on Friday, adding that schemes to expand the scope of nurses were also being considered.
She said a trial of pharmacists diagnosing and prescribing for UTIs in the state had been very successful – mainly because the trial included no serious evaluation process and no news is good news, right?
In the event that a pharmacist isn’t available to diagnose and treat your medical condition, said the Queensland Health spokesperson, “then a half-decent vet should do”.
