A new law allowing more pharmacists to become prescribers is expected to ease pressure on general practitioners, but the transition may take time, according to industry leaders. Reported by Morning Report From RNZ.
Currently, around 100 pharmacist prescribers work across GP clinics, hospices, and hospitals. This week’s law change will allow pharmacists who own or invest in a pharmacy to apply for prescribing authority starting February next year.
However, Independent Pharmacy Group chair Clive Cannons, who also owns Clive’s Chemist in Wainuiomata, said pharmacists were unlikely to begin prescribing immediately on 1 February.
“There will be extra training and competency requirements, so there will definitely be a lag before it becomes operational,” he told RNZ Morning Report.
Cannons said the reform was a positive step that would allow pharmacists to treat common conditions and reduce the demand on GPs.
“Many issues—like strep throat, skin and ear infections—can be safely managed in pharmacies. That frees up GPs to focus on more complex cases. And when something is outside our scope, we’ll refer patients back to their doctor.”
From 1 February, patients will also be able to receive 12-month prescriptions, a change the government says could save people up to $105 a year in GP fees. However, the $5 per-item prescription charge will still apply every three months.
Christchurch GP and General Practice Owners Association chair Dr Angus Chambers said safe prescribing was more complicated than it appeared, and a full-year prescription would not always be appropriate.
“Some medications require regular monitoring,” he told Afternoons.
“Sometimes patients need a six-monthly, yearly, or two-yearly review. Every three-month prescription renewal triggers important checks—blood tests, recalls, specialist letters—there’s a lot of housekeeping involved.”
Chambers worried the public might expect 12-month prescriptions across the board, leading to pressure on doctors and reception staff when they must decline them for safety reasons.