“Patient safety must come first”: Victorian Government’s pharmacy prescribing expansion puts patients at risk

The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has warned that the Victorian Government’s plan to significantly expand pharmacy prescribing powers threatens patient safety. 

It comes following Victorian Treasurer Jaclyn Symes announcing in today’s Budget that the state’s pharmacy prescribing trial, which commenced in October 2023, will be made a permanent fixture. Pharmacists will also be handed greater powers to prescribe medications for a range of complex conditions including high blood pressure without the need for a specialist GP consultation. An evaluation report assessing the trial was not released publicly for review prior to today’s announcement. 

RACGP Victoria Chair, Dr Anita Munoz, said that patient care will be compromised. 

“Patient safety must come first ahead of pharmacy owner profits,” she said. 

“Expanding pharmacy prescribing may seem like a straightforward and convenient answer to improving access to care but it’s not the right solution. Patients are better off booking a consult with a regular GP who knows them, and their history. The Victorian Government should instead be investing in better access to medical care in all communities, rather than opting for a cheap, easy ‘fix’ that doesn’t prioritise high-quality patient care. Today’s announcement comes shortly after the Royal College of GPs Scotland released a report painting a picture of ‘systematic and cultural’ neglect of general practice. We’re set to head down a path proven not to work in other countries.  

“GPs value the work of pharmacists in communities across Australia, and the College has consistently backed measures such as funding for practices to add more non-dispensing pharmacists as part of a sensible, GP-led multidisciplinary care approach. However, pharmacists don’t have the training required to properly diagnose medical conditions, and this raises the risk of inappropriate treatment, as well as misdiagnosis. GPs, on the other hand, spend a decade training to diagnose conditions, this is not something that can be easily taught over a few weeks via an online course. Chronic disease management, in particular, doesn’t belong in the retail pharmacy space. 

“Expanding pharmacy prescribing powers also fragments care, leading to a less well-connected health system and poorer patient health outcomes. We know from other jurisdictions that very few pharmacy consults lead to a GP referral, so the GP is effectively kept in the dark. This is particularly risky for patients with multiple, chronic conditions that need to be carefully managed by a regular GP who has precisely one priority in mind – the health and wellbeing of their patient.” 

Dr Munoz reiterated that medical expertise and the highest standards of patient care must be the number one priority for all governments. 

“Overseas we have seen models of expanding pharmacy prescribing fail; instead, governments should get behind general practice and back GPs and practice teams to do what we do best – provide high-quality care to patients in our communities,” she said. 

“There is a reason why we have, until this ‘trial’, separated prescribing and dispensing responsibilities and that is to avoid a conflict of interest. Pharmacists will be selling patients medicines that they have just prescribed. The ‘trial’ and evaluation report appear to have been conducted with a foregone conclusion and ready-made plan in mind – expanding pharmacy prescribing. If the Government was so confident that the evaluation report proved the worth and effectiveness of expanding pharmacy prescribing powers, they would have released it publicly months ago and given health experts and groups such as the RACGP the opportunity to properly review it.  

“Today’s announcement is deeply disappointing and a step backwards in achieving the best care outcomes for patients across Victoria. I urge all patients to book a consult with their GP instead of seeing a pharmacist, your safety must come first.” 

~ENDS 

RACGP spokespeople are available for interviews: 03 8699 0992 / [email protected].