… but has not yet confirmed what it will cover.
West Australian pharmacists can now enrol in its Enhanced Access Community Pharmacy Pilot, even as details of its final scope are still under review.
The new pilot, which is expected to commence by 2027, will build on the state’s existing pharmacist-led immunisation, UTI and oral contraceptive pill prescribing programs.
Health Minister Meredith Hammat has also announced a state-funded subsidy to support pharmacists to upskill for the prescribing trial, with pharmacists from MM3-7 regions eligible for a higher amount.
“This practical initiative will make it easier for Western Australians to access diagnosis and treatment for everyday health conditions,” she said.
“By enhancing the skills of community pharmacists, we are reducing pressure on hospitals and GPs while giving patients safe, effective care options closer to home.”
Like other state and territory pharmacist-led prescribing programs, patients will pay for pharmacy services entirely out-of-pocket.
Health WA has put together a detailed Frequently Asked Questions page on the pilot.
It covers everything from whether pharmacists are required to update a patient’s regular GP (they are) how they will do that (via an approved clinical information system or My Health Record) and whether there is an inherent conflict of interest in both prescribing and dispensing medicines (“patients are welcome to consider the treatment plan and take the prescription to another pharmacy of their preference”).
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In terms of protocols and clinical guidelines, the WA pilot will adapt those of the Queensland Community Pharmacy Pilot which launched in 2024 but consult a clinical reference group to consider local demographics and antimicrobial resistance patterns.
One of the details that the FAQ page cannot assist with is what conditions will be included as part of the scope.
“To promote national alignment in pharmacist-led care, the graduate certificate programs will train pharmacists to assess and manage a wide range of health conditions, aligning with the full scope offered through other training programs,” it reads.
“The final scope of the [Enhanced Access Community Pharmacy Pilot] is currently under review, with a range of acute, chronic, and wellbeing services being considered.”
Under the Queensland model, which was officially made permanent on 1 July, pharmacists can diagnose and prescribe for 17 conditions.
These include acne, otitis media, smoking cessation and gastro-oesophageal reflux.
AMA WA president Dr Kyle Hoath said the pilot had the potential for dangerous patient outcomes.
“GPs and pharmacists are not interchangeable roles,” he said.
“Pharmacists have a very important role to play, but taking GPs out of the picture is dangerous.”
According to Dr Hoath, the AMAWA successfully lobbied the state government for adverse outcome monitoring and mandatory pharmacist-GP communication.
“We know [pharmacist-led prescribing] is happening in other states,” he said.
“We knew this was going to happen [in WA].
“Our role has been to ensure that it happens safely, that it’s for appropriate indications, that we have the right checks and balances, that we have ways of tracking when things go wrong and that there isn’t further fragmentation from this.”
