A new clinical trial will enable women to obtain birth control pills without seeing a GP for a prescription, within certain requirements. Image: Polina Tankilevitch, via Pexels
A new clinical trial introduced in NSW will enable women to obtain birth control pills without the need to see a GP for a prescription, within certain requirements.
The trial was adopted by the NSW government in a bid to ease pressure on GPs and out-of-pocket expenses for consumers.
Women aged 18-35, who have received a prescription for the contraceptive pill from their doctor in the past two years, will be eligible to acquire a resupply of their medication at a participating pharmacy without booking a GP appointment first.
900 pharmacies across the state will participate in the program, which will operate for 12 months.
Speaking about the trial, NSW health minister Ryan Park said that the changes sought to relieve pressure on GPs and improve access to medicine.
“This initiative is not only making it easier for people to access medicines, it is also alleviating pressure on our GPs and primary care services,” said Park.
Queensland, which has already introduced similar measures in some regions, would extend these programs to allow pharmacists to prescribe the pill and asthma medications.
Additionally, last October, Queensland permanently adopted measures to allow pharmacists to diagnose and treat women with non-complex urinary tract infections.
However, many doctors have expressed concern and criticism regarding the program and others like it over concerns that the scheme could endanger the health of patients.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners called for a halt to all unsupervised pharmacy prescriptions.
Others expressed concerns that the change meant that some women would go extended periods without checking in with their GP, which could lead to health concerns being overlooked.
Queensland’s health minister, Shannon Fentiman, said that the program was not about replacing existing health services, but about making healthcare more accessible on a broad scale.
“I talk a lot about the kinds of reasons why people are presenting at emergency departments, often because they can’t get into a GP or find a GP that bulk bills,” Fentiman told reporters on Monday.
“This is not about replacing any of our existing services. This is about adding to it and making it so much easier for Queenslanders to get the healthcare they need close to home.”
