Pharmacy UTI changes free up 5,000 GP appointments

Since March, more than 5,000 Tasmanian women have been treated for Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) through their pharmacist, instead of visiting a GP or hospital.

Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Roger Jaensch, said important regulatory changes introduced in March have allowed local pharmacists across the State to be accredited to assess and treat women for uncomplicated UTIs.

“Since then, pharmacists have provided support for more than 5000 women, improving access to treatment and freeing up thousands of GP appointments or presentations to the Emergency Department,” Minister Jaensch said.

The Tasmanian Government increased the scope of practice for pharmacists, allowing greater dispensing capabilities and reducing the pressure on the primary care sector.

More than 130 pharmacies are now participating in the innovative program for UTIs.

“That includes community pharmacists on King and Flinders islands, from Strahan to Bicheno, Nubeena to the Central Highlands and many other locations in-between,” Minister Jaensch said.

“This is a significant milestone, which is improving access to every day health services for Tasmanian women.”

Minister for Women and the Prevention of Family Violence, Jo Palmer, commended pharmacies for the successful implementation of this initiative and said it was improving both the accessibility and affordability of treatment for women.

“Further to this, as part of the 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future, in July we launched the Oral Contraceptive Pill Resupply Initiative, allowing pharmacists to safely extend the supply of the oral contraceptive pill for an additional 12 months when a prescription expires,’’ Minister Palmer said.

Since its implementation, hundreds of women have been able to receive their medications when they need them.

Minister Jaensch said the changes are part of the Tasmanian Government’s response to an independent report which recommended expanding the services provided by pharmacists.

“Since March, pharmacists have been able to extend most prescriptions for an additional month where a patient has had difficulty getting to a GP – benefiting hundreds of Tasmanians each day,’’ he said.

“We have also announced further roles for pharmacists including trialing collaborative prescribing in residential aged care and in rural and remote areas.

“As a Government, we have plans to further grow the role of pharmacists and more initiatives for community pharmacists will be announced through 2025 and beyond.”