AMA standards mean little to Guild

MINIMUM standards for prescribing released by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) are of little relevance to the development of pharmacist prescribing, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia believes.

Responding to the AMA’s announcement that the standards “rule out pharmacist prescribing” a Guild spokesperson questioned the medical organisation’s role in developing regulations for other health professions.

“The last time we looked, the AMA wasn’t a regulatory authority, so their minimum standards have no standing in relation to pharmacists,” the spokesperson said.

The AMA said the guidelines, developed by its Council of General Practice were “all about putting the interests of patients first and providing governments with strong evidence to reject attempts by unauthorised or inappropriately skilled practitioners who may seek prescribing rights outside their scope of practice”.

AMA President, Dr Tony Bartone, added there needed to be clear minimum standards for all prescribers, taking aim at the Guild.

“There is a push from the Guild for pharmacists to have prescribing rights, but the AMA totally rejects this proposal,” he said.

“It is inappropriate, and unsafe for patients. Instead, the AMA wants to see pharmacists working in general practices within the scope of their practice.”

Bartone flagged concerns over potential conflicts of interest, should pharmacists be empowered to prescribe, noting the “separation of prescribing and dispensing is an important safety issue”.

PSA National President, Dr Chris Freeman, backed Bartone’s view that prescribing and dispensing should be independent of each other.

“This is why we have clearly stated that doctors should not own pharmacies that are dispensing the prescriptions of those very same doctors who own the practice, and equally we have stated that when and independent decision is made to initiate a Schedule 4 or Schedule 8 medicine by a pharmacist (in the future) that this needs to be separated from the act of dispensing,” he said.

However, Freeman voiced support for the expansion of “safe and appropriate prescribing of high-risk medicines by pharmacists within a framework that allows them to practice to the full extent of their expertise”.

“Pharmacists have more expertise in medicines than any other health professional and they already make clinical diagnoses and prescribe lower-risk medicines,” he said.

“These activities are within the national competency framework for pharmacists.”