GP concern over new pharmacy assistants course

The RACGP has raised concerns about a new mandatory Pharmacy Assistants Course, aimed at complementing the Queensland Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot.
 
According to the Australasian College of Pharmacy (ACP), the course has been designed to ‘expand your knowledge to support pharmacists’ expansion in scope of practice’ and will help pharmacy assistants understand its purpose, benefits, and their role.
 
But its launch comes amid rising concern over the controversial pilot, which enables pharmacists to administer a wide range of vaccines and prescribe medicines for common health conditions throughout Queensland.
 
Pharmacy assistants can now enrol in the three-hour, $99 course online, which, once completed, will allow them to list key services, identify patient eligibility, understand patient confidentiality and consent, and outline the fee structure.
 
RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins is concerned the course alludes to a lack of capacity within the pharmacy workforce.
 
‘Does this mean that my medical reception team, which has undergone similar training about confidentiality, privacy, triage, billing, and compliance, can support a patient with a UTI?,’ she told newsGP.
 
‘They’re now having to get pharmacy assistants to help roll out the pilot, and it demonstrates that pharmacy does not have the capacity to be managing medical problems in retail pharmacy.
 
‘We would be better off supporting existing infrastructure, such as paying practices and practice nurses to be able to support patients.’
 
The pilot was designed to give patients greater access to healthcare, especially for those living in rural and regional Queensland.
 
Participating pharmacists must also complete additional training to manage the pilot’s criteria, which include autonomous prescribing for several conditions.
 
But it has long drawn the ire of GPs, who say ‘patients deserve to be diagnosed and treated by medically trained doctors‘.
 
The ACP has now urged assistants employed at pharmacies enrolled in the pilot program to undertake the training, stating they will ‘learn how to support their pharmacist, gather valuable data, and play a key role in determining the pilot’s success’.
 
Dr Higgins said moving forward, it will be crucial to ‘find the right balance’ between care and access.
 
‘I’m still waiting for the robust evaluation that demonstrates the benefits to the patients and to the health budget,’ she said.
 
‘Recruiting pharmacy assistants which don’t require any formal qualifications to undertake a three-hour course to be the frontline of the trial is inappropriate.
 
‘We can’t trade off quality and safety for access and convenience.’
 
The organisation’s CEO Melanie Hunt said it recognises the need to upskill pharmacy assistants to ensure the pilot’s success.
 
‘For Queensland community pharmacists to be able to provide expanded healthcare services to their patients, pharmacy assistants need to be able to do more to support their pharmacist colleagues,’ she said.
 
‘As such, the college is the only Australian pharmacy education provider offering this niche training course for Queensland pharmacy assistants.’
 
As part of its 2024–25 pre-Budget submission, the RACGP is calling for greater support for practices to grow their teams and employ other health professionals, including funds dedicated to the employment of a general practice-based pharmacist.
 
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