Mental HealthTime To Consider Expanding Prescribing Rights
Governments and health professionals across Australia need to give full and detailed
consideration to granting pharmacists and other non-medial health professionals the right to
prescribe medications, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia says.
President of the PSA, Warwick Plunkett, said today that some non-medical health
professions have already been granted prescribing rights and it was time that this right was
also granted to pharmacists.
Mr Plunkett said pharmacists were ideally placed to prescribe because of their detailed
knowledge of medications and their face-to-face interaction with consumers.
"Pharmacists are guided by the principles of quality use of medicines and securing the
optimum health outcomes for consumers and these are fundamental to the guidelines for
prescribing," he said.
Authorities should also consider extending prescribing nights to other non-medical health
professionals but a focused approach was needed in any such decision.
"In most cases the process has largely been driven by each health professional group and
implemented on an ad hoc basis without the opportunity to consider uniformity, common
goals and core principles across all health professions," he said.
"It is time to formally consider prescribing by pharmacists and other non-medical health
professionals as a major initiative to help facilitate a more efficient and effective health
system."
But Mr Plunkett said any approval must be based on some solid principles including:
- Patient safety and access to high-quality care being of paramount importance in any
such initiative
- Prescribing rights being granted in a way that helps to enhance timely access to
medicines
- Prescribing rights being granted in a safe and cost-effective manner for the
consumer
- Health professionals having a full understanding of, and a commitment to, the
principles of the Quality Use of Medicines
- Prescribing and dispensing functions being clearly delineated.
"The PSA believes such a framework must be focused on consumers and be underpinned
by a primary concern for the delivery of safe and high-quality care," Mr Plunkett said.
"It must also enhance the timely access to medicines and to maintaining a continuity of
care; as well as promoting the quality use of medicines."
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia