RACGP urges Tasmanian government to prioritise aged-care safety in budget

The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) is calling on the Tasmanian Government to put patient safety first and redirect $5 million from a proposed pharmacy scope-of-practice expansion pilot into embedding pharmacists directly inside residential aged care facilities (RACFs). 

The initiative can be fully funded through reprioritisation, delivering better outcomes at no additional cost to the state budget. 

In its 2026–27 Pre-Budget Submission, the RACGP warns that the current retail-based pharmacy prescribing pilot model risks fragmenting care, duplicating services, and diverting scarce funding away from areas of genuine clinical need, particularly the state’s ageing population. 

RACGP Tasmania Chair Dr Toby Gardner said Tasmania had an opportunity to lead the country by investing in a proven, multidisciplinary approach that delivers safer, more coordinated care for older Tasmanians. 

“Tasmania’s older residents need medication systems that prevent harm, not a retail-based prescribing experiment operating outside established medical governance,” he said.  

“Embedding pharmacists in aged care is evidence-driven, cost-effective and immediately improves safety for some of our most vulnerable people. 

“The Government has the opportunity right now to make a cost-neutral decision that will reduce harm, keep older Tasmanians out of hospital, and strengthen our health system. Redirecting the pharmacy pilot funding is the right choice for patient safety, fiscal responsibility, and the future of aged care in our state.” 

Domestic and international evidence shows this model delivers fewer medication errors, fewer unnecessary hospitalisations, and better coordination with GPs and nurses. 

While redirecting pharmacy pilot funding is the centrepiece of the RACGP’s submission, the College is also calling for reforms that strengthen Tasmania’s GP workforce and reduce hospital demand. 

Remove payroll tax obligations for GP registrars 

Current payroll tax arrangements act as a barrier to practices taking on GP registrars, limiting Tasmania’s ability to train the next generation of GPs. The RACGP calls for registrar training to be exempt from payroll tax as a protected activity. 

Fund infrastructure grants to support registrar training 

Many rural and regional practices lack the consulting rooms, supervision areas, or digital infrastructure required to host GP registrars. The RACGP is calling for the establishment of targeted grants to expand clinical rooms, upgrade supervision spaces and improve training capacity, funding which could be repurposed from the TassieDoc program. 

Expand RSV vaccination to Tasmanians aged 75+ 

With rising RSV cases and increasing hospitalisation among older Tasmanians, the RACGP urges the Government to expand the vaccination program in line with ATAGI recommendations. 

Expand GPs with Specific Interests (GPwSI) in public outpatient clinics 

GPwSIs have already demonstrated success in reducing outpatient wait times and improving patient flow. The RACGP welcomes the recent announcement of funded positions for 0.3 in the north and 0.4 in the south for GPwSI to work within a team based-ADHD service. Further ongoing funding and strengthened governance to expand this model into areas such as child health, diabetes, cardiology, gastroenterology and mental health would be beneficial.