GPs say siloed approach to healthcare delivery ‘outdated’

The RACGP and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) have joined forces ahead of the 2025 Federal Election to urge political parties to fund the employment of non-dispensing pharmacists within general practices.
 
The proposal forms part of both organisations’ advocacy for multidisciplinary, team-based care, with the college highlighting the initiative in its plan for accessible and affordable care.
 
The RACGP is calling for additional Workforce Incentive Program (WIP) funding to pharmacists working in general practice, as well as increased funding through the WIP to enable GPs to employ, coordinate and provide oversight to a team of qualified health professionals.
 
Meanwhile, the PSA’s election platform wants to see a doubling of WIP funding to support the employment of on-site pharmacists in general practice.
 
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said funding will enable general practices to expand their teams with pharmacists, nurses and other allied health professionals, which would have ‘immediate and long-term benefits’ for patients and the healthcare system.
 
‘People with chronic illness get the best care when their specialist GP works with pharmacists and other health professionals in multidisciplinary care teams,’ he said.
 
‘Most practices provide multidisciplinary care, and most GPs want to grow their teams to better serve our patients.’
 
When it comes to practice-based pharmacists specifically, Dr Wright said they are able to educate patients about how their medication works and how to use it safely, while also identifying opportunities to deprescribe where a medication is no longer necessary.
 
‘That support is especially valuable for older patients, who too often are admitted to hospital due to adverse drug events, and benefit from clear communication and an optimal medicine regimen as they transition into aged care,’ he said.
 
The integration of non-dispensing pharmacists into care teams has been shown to reduce hospital admissions, improve prescribing safety, and yield significant cost savings.
 
Economic modelling suggests the approach could save the health system about $545 million over four years.
 
Dr Sean Stevens, a GP from Perth, has experienced the benefits of having a pharmacist in his practice-team firsthand. He says pharmacist Nick Mamas plays a pivotal role in improving medication safety and continuity of care.
 
‘The integration of non-dispensing pharmacists into general practice creates a truly collaborative healthcare environment with significant benefits for both patients and practices,’ Dr Stevens told newsGP.
 
‘For practices like ours, having Nick as our practice pharmacist has strengthened our multidisciplinary approach to complex care.
 
‘His specialised knowledge complements our clinical skills, particularly when managing patients with multiple comorbidities requiring polypharmacy.’
 
The GP says patients receive more thorough medication reviews and education, which increases their understanding and adherence to treatment plans. While the practice benefits from more efficient medication reconciliation processes, especially during transitions of care.
 
Mr Mamas agrees. He says pharmacists’ specialised medication expertise complements GPs’ diagnostic and treatment skills.
 
‘Just last week, we had a case that highlights this critical role,’ he told newsGP.
 
‘We reviewed a patient recently discharged from hospital who had been started on anticoagulation therapy.
 
‘Through our discussion, we discovered that while the medication had been appropriately initiated in hospital, there was a communication gap about the need for ongoing therapy.
 
‘The patient had finished the initial supply and discontinued the medication, assuming the treatment was complete. Our team identified this during the case conference, and we were able to promptly restart this essential therapy.
 
‘This intervention potentially prevented serious consequences, and it demonstrates how our collaborative approach helps address continuity of care challenges that can occur during transitions between healthcare settings.’
 
Meanwhile, when it comes to medicine shortages, Dr Stevens says having a pharmacist who can quickly identify therapeutic alternatives has helped to minimise the impact on patients. 
 
‘His ability to liaise directly with community pharmacies has streamlined communication and improved continuity of care for our patients,’ he said.
 
‘We’ve [also] seen fewer medication-related hospital admissions.
 
‘This collaborative model also allows GPs to focus more on diagnostic and treatment aspects while our pharmacist optimises medication regimens.’
 
However, Dr Stevens says despite the clear benefits, current funding arrangements are ‘precarious and often insufficient’ to retain pharmacists and other allied health, within general practice.
 
The call for reform comes as Australia grapples with rising healthcare costs and a growing burden of chronic disease, in the face of an ageing population.  
 
With this in mind, Dr Stevens says interprofessional collaboration is ‘absolutely fundamental’ to addressing the increasingly complex healthcare challenges being faced in Australia today.
 
‘The siloed approach to healthcare delivery is outdated and inefficient,’ he said.
 
‘The evidence consistently shows that multidisciplinary care teams deliver superior results for patients with complex needs. What we need now is the policy framework and funding mechanisms to make this the standard model of care across Australia.’
 
PSA National President Associate Professor Fei Sim said there is no denying that Australia is facing an avalanche of chronic health conditions, requiring ‘more significant, advanced, and complex care’ from all healthcare professionals.
 
‘We must support our healthcare system to meet this demand by investing in multidisciplinary care now, supporting GPs to grow their teams and foster greater pharmacist-GP collaboration to achieve true patient-centred care,’ she said.
 
‘This investment would directly benefit our health system, reduce costs for patients and, most importantly, improve prescribing safety and quality care.’
 
This is backed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, which found 250,000 annual hospital admissions are caused by medication-related problems – half of which are potentially preventable, costing the system $1.4 billion each year.
 
With both economic and clinical evidence mounting, the RACGP and the PSA say now is the time for policymakers to invest in pharmacist integration as a core component of modern general practice.
 
‘Funding practices to grow their teams with nurses and allied health professionals like pharmacists will immediately improve access to care for Australians and reduce costs to them and the health system,’ Dr Wright said.
 
‘Long-term, it’ll improve care for patients with chronic illnesses, improve health and wellbeing, and mean fewer people end up in hospital.’
 
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chronic illness GP Pharmacists Pharmaceutical Society of Australia PSA scope of practice