New expanded role for community pharmacies introduced in WA

• Expanded role for community pharmacists in Western Australia
• Follows success of UTI treatment program which has so far helped 7,000 WA patients
• Pilot programs around Australia to inform the next steps for WA

The Cook Government is committing to a new expanded role for community pharmacists in Western Australia, providing patients access to treatment for a range of common and mild conditions.

The uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) treatment program and the Oral Contraceptive Pill (OCP) resupply program were introduced in the past year.

These programs are proving to be effective, providing accessible, timely and convenient healthcare services to thousands of Western Australian women.

The UTI treatment program has so far helped 7,000 patients and is in place in 500 pharmacies.

This is a practical and logical next step towards a new network of pharmacists, who are appropriately trained and authorised to deliver care to more Western Australians for a broad range of acute specific conditions such as mild to moderate shingles, acne, dermatitis, musculoskeletal pain and inflammation, nausea and vomiting, and wound management.

Further enhancing the accessibility of healthcare in Western Australia is a priority for the Cook Government and this announcement will allow us to safely increase access to high-quality primary healthcare for Western Australians.

The Department of Health will engage with the Pharmacy Guild, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and other stakeholders to ensure the program is appropriately scoped and evaluated.

The Cook Government will work with universities to ensure pharmacists are appropriately skilled, authorised and ready to assist Western Australians across the State.

Design, development and implementation will take place over the next two years, with the aim for pharmacists to deliver advanced care by 2027.

Comments attributed to Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:

"Enhancing the scope of pharmacists in Western Australia helps patients access timely, appropriate and convenient treatment for certain conditions.

"These initiatives demonstrate the valuable role pharmacists can play in delivering primary healthcare services.

"Expanding the role of community pharmacy is practical and common-sense policy that will ease cost of living pressures for people across the State.

"Ultimately, this approach will enhance primary care, freeing up time for GPs to support more complex patients in need of more urgent care.

"We remain committed to creating a more responsive healthcare system, capable of meeting the evolving needs of our population."