Victoria is the latest state to move towards pharmacist prescribing, with Premier Daniel Andrews allowing pharmacists to prescribe antibiotics for urinary tract infections (UTIs) and other medicines conditions if re-elected.
Authors
Fron Jackson-Webb
Fron Jackson-Webb is a Friend of The Conversation.Deputy Editor and Senior Health Editor
Wes Mountain
Social Media + Visual Storytelling Editor
UTIs are , especially among women, with half getting at least one in their lifetime.
Last week the New South Wales government a trial allowing pharmacists to give a range of travel vaccinations and prescribe antibiotics for UTIs. And on Tuesday, the Northern Territory to expand the role of pharmacists.
was the first state to expand this scope of practice – pharmacists can prescribe medicines for UTIs, after a two-year trial. The state is now trialling a allowing pharmacists to prescribe for a range of other common conditions.
Proponents of pharmacist prescribing argue it expands health-care options for people who can’t access a GP and highlights pharmacists’ expertise with medicines. Meanwhile, those opposed raise concerns about safety and antibiotic resistance.
So should pharmacists be able to prescribe common medicines such as antibiotics for UTIs? We asked 5 experts.
Three out of five said yes
Here are their detailed responses:
Disclosure statements: Brett Mitchell receives funding from the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Health and Medical Research Council. He has received research funding from the NHMRC, HCF Foundation, Medtronics, Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control, Nurses Memorial Centre, Senver, GAMA Healthcare, Ian Potter Foundation and Commonwealth (Innovation Connections grant). He is Editor-in-Chief of Infection, Disease and Health; Henry Cutler receives funding from the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association; Jaya Dantas receives funding from Healthway, Lotterywest, & DISER. She is International Health SIG Convenor of the Public Health Association of Australia, a member of the Global Gender Equality in Health Leadership Committee, Women in Global Health, Australia and the President of Australian Graduate Women; Lisa Nissen received funding from Queensland Department of Health to evaluate the implementation of the recent Queensland Urinary Tract Pharmacy Pilot in her previous role at Queensland University of Technology. She is a past president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (Queensland) and past Chairman of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (Queensland); Louise Stone is member of the RACGP, ACRRM and ASPM.
