When a WA town's long-serving GP went on prolonged leave, the local pharmacy tried to fill part of the gap. But the AMA says 'a store full of drugs doesn't mean you can treat a condition in a holistic way'.
The Pharmacy Guild of Western Australia is calling on the state government to expand the scope of community pharmacists.
After the town's long-serving GP went on prolonged leave in mid-2024, Goomalling pharmacist and local councillor Mark Ashton believed his business had a role to play."The effect of not having a full time GP has seen our residents driving 50km to Wongan Hills or Northam to see a doctor," Cr Ashton said.
"By handing over the treatment of simple medical conditions to your local pharmacist you are freeing up appointments for GPs to manage more complex patients," Cr Ashton said. He said with GP wait times on the rise it was a logical step to increase the capabilities of local pharmacists. Data from the Pharmacy Guild of Australia reveals 82 per cent of Australians say they have confidence in their pharmacist to provide health advice for common, non-complex conditions.However, Australian Medical Association president Michael Page does not believe an expanded role for pharmacies will deliver stronger health outcomes.
Pharmacy Pharmacist GP Shortage Pharmacy Guild Of WA GP Wait Times Doctor Shortage Goomalling Pharmacy Mark Ashton Councillor Locum Andrew Ngeow Pharmacy Guild Of Australia Australian Medical Association AMA Michael Page WA Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson General Practitioner GP
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