WA further expands pharmacy prescribing

The Western Australian Government will expand its controversial pharmacy prescribing pilot, adding to the list of conditions allowed to be treated without a GP consultation.
 
Announced on Monday, applications are open for eligible pharmacists to enrol in the Enhanced Access Community Pharmacy Pilot, with training to begin in September.
 
Pharmacists in WA can already treat urinary tract infections (UTIs) and resupply oral contraceptive pills, but under the program’s expansion, they will be able to diagnose and treat ear infections, acne and asthma.
 
The announcement has drawn criticism from Dr Ramya Raman, RACGP WA Chair, who is concerned about the risk of fragmented care.  
 
‘The main concern around this is, it’s not about a turf war, it’s actually about looking at the outcomes for our patients,’ she told newsGP.
 
The WA announcement flags a further expansion of pharmacy prescribing across the country, of which the RACGP has been a vocal opponent, citing both safety and ethical concerns for patients.
 
New South Wales began a pharmacy prescribing trial in 2023, initially just for UTI treatment, and expanded it last year to include oral contraceptive pill and common skin conditions.
 
Queensland made pharmacy prescribing permanent in March 2025, following its own trial program in 2024.
 
In May 2025 the Victorian Government announced its Victorian Community Statewide Pilot would become permanent and expand to 22 treatments.
 
Programs are also underway for various conditions in Tasmania, South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.
 
Under the new WA pilot, participating pharmacists will begin training through Graduated Certificate programs, with service delivery expected to begin by 2027, and the pilot planned to continue until 2028.
 
WA Health Minister Meredith Hammat said enhancing the skills of community pharmacists will reduce pressure on hospitals and GPs ‘while giving safe, effective care options closer to home’.
 
‘The pilot reflects our commitment to making the most of our highly trained pharmacy workforce and strengthening care in the community,’ she said.
 
But Dr Raman said the pilot threatens to ‘add strain to the stretched pharmacy workforce’ and potentially delay essential treatment.
 
‘If patients are seeking out care from another health professional, potentially if there’s a misdiagnosis or a missed diagnosis, that will ultimately lead to delays in their care, delays in how that is being managed,’ she said.
 
‘When there is a complex health need for a patient, and the patient ends up seeing their GP later, potentially that’s going to lead to worse outcomes and maybe even hospitalisations for these patients.’
 
Dr Raman said the fragmentation of care also meant there is no clinical handover between a pharmacist and a GP.
 
‘There’s no clear communication channel from when the patient sees their pharmacist to then coming to see their GP,’ she said.
 
‘It’s not like a person gets a little summary sheet to say, “this is what happened in the interaction”.
 
‘It’s been shown that continuity of care has a tremendous impact on health outcomes for patients, in a good way.’  
 
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