Doctors slam government chemist trial
FAR Northern doctors have been left fuming following revelations of a “dangerous” leaked state government plan to trial pharmacists in diagnosing and treating certain health conditions.
The Australian Medical Association is urging the Queensland government to rethink its North Queensland Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot trial – a plan that would allow pharmacists to diagnose and treat specific health conditions.
AMA president Omar Khorshid said if it went ahead, the pilot would be delivering “second-rate health” and “we will see pharmacists becoming de facto GPs”.
“Pharmacists are not doctors. They are experts in medication and a key part of community health care, but lack the necessary training and experience that makes general practice such a critical part of our health system,” Dr Khorshid said.
Three Far Northern GPs have expressed their horror at the proposal, which they believe undermines their profession.
Yorkeys Medical and Northern Skin Doctors’ Lee Jones said there was an obvious commercial conflict of interest.
“Doctors prescribe and pharmacists dispense the medication – this allows for a cross check and prevents any profession from prescribing and then making money from their own prescriptions,” he said.
FNQH Cairns Skin Cancer Clinic doctor Sebastian
Moss said he was horrified that a pharmacist’s 120 hours of supervised practice would be considered sufficient to enable them to prescribe independently.
Mr Moss’s fellow clinician Vin Rajeswaran labelled the plan as “dangerous”.
“Pharmacists may miss an underlying serious condition which can result in death,” Dr Rajeswaran said.
“Pharmacists normally do
not have the indemnity insurance to cover in case of a complication which means the patient may not be able to go down the legal path.”
Queensland Health confirmed the plan was in the pipeline and still under review, and therefore did not address the doctors’ concerns.
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia did not respond before deadline.