NT GPs consulted amid pharmacy prescribing expansion

The RACGP has welcomed a Northern Territory Government decision to consult GPs as part of its incoming pharmacy prescribing expansion.
 
As announced in 2024, the program will allow trained pharmacists to autonomously prescribe for 21 conditions in a bid to increase access to healthcare.
 
With that plan now progressing, RACGP NT Chair Dr Sam Heard has welcomed the Territory Government’s move to remove ‘unnecessary urgency from the conversation’.
 
‘Whilst its early days, we are pleased that GPs are being consulted and that their voices are being heard,’ he said.
 
‘This is a sensible approach that puts patient safety, good clinical governance and proper workforce planning first.
 
‘The experience and training of GPs in the Territory must continue to be a key part of this conversation.’
 
With an expert advisory group now established, Dr Heard is seeking assurance from the NT Government that it will inform an evidence-based approach to balance the plan’s risks and benefits.
 
‘Bringing pharmacists and doctors together around the same table is the right approach,’ he said.
 
‘An expert advisory group will address genuine gaps in access to healthcare and medicines that can be safely diagnosed in a retail pharmacy setting to be identified and addressed using good data, strong governance and collaboration.
 
‘Rushing decisions or implementing things from Sydney, Melbourne or in this case, North Queensland, without making sure the model suits the NT is fraught and too often adds complexity and further fragments care.’
 
However, Dr Heard still holds concerns about the scope of practice change.
 
He said while pharmacists are vital to Australia’s healthcare system, ‘they are not a substitute for the comprehensive, person-centred care provided by a patient’s GP over time’.
 
‘Changes to how medicines are supplied or prescribed should always be guided by evidence, data and careful consideration of how people actually receive care, particularly in the Territory,’ he said.
 
‘There is merit in exploring similar models in general practices, where pharmacists are embedded in care teams rather than working in isolation.
 
‘Any proposal to expand access to medicines normally reserved for longer-term or chronic use must be carefully assessed to ensure it is necessary, safe, and supported by appropriate clinical governance.’

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Northern Territory pharmacy prescribing scope of practice