The New South Wales (NSW) government has announced a plan to improve access to important medications and treatments, including the contraceptive pill and UTI treatments, as part of a 12-month trial period. The initiative will help people, particularly women, access these prescriptions and treatments more quickly and easily.
The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s pharmacy plan will enable patients to book online to see a pharmacist or walk into their local pharmacy to get the care they need. The plan will also cover the cost of the patient consultation fee for the treatment of UTI and the contraceptive pill.
Many pharmacists already help women in need of emergency contraception, so extending the scope of what they can prescribe enhances their role in providing this care. The community pharmacist has an important role to play in providing healthcare, and allowing them to do more will benefit patients and help ease the pressure on other healthcare providers, including GPs and hospitals.
The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s pharmacy plan will make a huge difference to women across the state, particularly those living in rural and regional NSW. The GP shortages in the bush are blowing out appointment wait times to days and even weeks. This reform will ease the pressure on primary care and ensure women are able to get the help they need when they need it.
NSW Health will work with participating pharmacists who will be required to undertake additional training to ensure safe prescribing practices. The NSW government has partnered with the University of Newcastle to design and implement the clinical trial. Data gathered from the clinical trial will be used to inform any future changes to the role of pharmacists in the healthcare system.
Furthermore, this presents an excellent opportunity for pharmacies to participate in recycling programs given the increased amount about of visits to pharmacies. By having recycling points for blister packs in pharmacies, it will be more convenient for patients to do their part while paying frequent visits to the pharmacy. Programs like Pharmacycle will help to raise awareness of the importance of recycling and encourage patients to adopt more sustainable practices in their daily lives. By participating in this program, pharmacists will not only be providing healthcare services but also contributing to a cleaner and greener environment.
