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A majority of Australia’s GPs believe some low risk tasks could be taken off their plate by pharmacists to ease their workloads. In the main, however, medical practitioners are sceptical of pharmacists’ abilities to assist with more complex diagnosing and prescribing tasks. And while GPs assess themselves as less confident in making ethically difficult recommendations […]
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A public health initiative spearheaded by the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) is encouraging people to defer a visit to the doctor in certain circumstances. One of the main messages is that people suffering from common problems which include coughs, colds, stomach upsets and aches and pains should visit their local pharmacy as a first […]
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A British meta-study encompassing over 65 individual studies from around the globe (including 13 from Australia) has shown there is a growing acceptance among doctors for pharmacist prescribing. Among the broader findings are that most doctors feel pharmacists prescribing for limited conditions and minor ailments is a logical step. GPs are also more likely to […]
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In April this year the Queensland government took an unprecedented step when it approved a statewide trial that allowed pharmacists to provide the contraceptive pill and antibiotics for urinary tract infections without a prescription. In the short term it offers pharmacists a quicker avenue to product sales and revenue, but in the longer term, as […]
Dr No: Why Australia’s medical practitioners are reluctant to pass the baton to pharmacists
A majority of Australia’s GPs believe some low risk tasks could be taken off their plate by pharmacists to ease their workloads. In the main, how..