NSW’s ‘reckless’ donor-led pharmacist prescribing experiment runs ahead of evidence: RACGP

The Minns Government has once again seemingly prioritised politics over patient safety by expanding its pharmacist prescribing scheme to appease powerful donors, the RACGP has warned. 

Earlier today, the NSW Government announced a new trial that will allow pharmacist prescribers to treat a wider range of complex health conditions, including ear infections, wound care, hypertension and COPD – ailments that GPs spend more than a decade training to diagnose and manage. 

Describing the move as a "reckless gamble", RACGP NSW&ACT Chair Dr Rebekah Hoffman said better access to healthcare was critical, but could not come at the expense of patient safety. 

“Patients deserve convenience and safety. Diagnosis, follow-up and continuity aren’t optional extras,” she said. 

“The safeguards built into general practice exist for a reason – to catch red flags, prevent misdiagnosis, use antibiotics appropriately and make sure patients get the follow-up care they need. 

“The NSW Government is expanding pharmacy prescribing into more complex care when the evidence for the existing model remains weak. Health policy should follow the evidence, not the money.” 

Dr Hoffman said governments also need to stop treating the number of services delivered as proof that a policy works. 

“Counting pharmacy consultations or prescriptions tells us a service was used. It doesn’t tell us whether patients got the right diagnosis, whether they got better, whether serious conditions were missed or whether they later needed more care,” she said. 

“Those are the outcomes that matter to patients – and they need to be independently measured.” 

Dr Hoffman said the evidence gap was particularly concerning given the Pharmacy Guild’s political influence. 

According to the Grattan Institute – which was recently targeted by the Guild due to scrutiny it applied to the pharmacy industry – Australia's largest healthcare sector donor gave $2.5 million to political parties over the past five years, while it also spent $16.3 million on public campaigns.  

As NSW Premier Chris Minns said himself today: “I really love this relationship between myself, my government, and the Guild.” 

“The evidence is weak, but the political influence behind this policy is enormous and on public display,” Dr Hoffman said. 

“The Pharmacy Guild has every right to lobby governments and make political donations. But when one of Australia’s biggest political donors keeps securing policies that expand the commercial role of its members, the public has every right to ask what is driving those decisions. 

“Pharmacists are highly valued health professionals and we want to ensure healthcare changes are based on evidence that patients will be safer and better off, because donations don’t equal data. 

“Access matters. But access to care that hasn’t been proven safe and effective is not progress.”