Victorian Community Pharmacist Statewide Pilot

The pilot aims to test a new model of primary health care, delivered through community pharmacies, to improve timely access to common, low risk medications. This might especially benefit women and those living in areas where it is hard to get a general practitioner (GP) appointment. It also aims to ease pressure on GPs so that they can focus on providing more complex care.

Under the pilot, community pharmacists will provide:

• continued supply of select oral contraceptive pills without a prescription for women
• selected treatments for some mild skin conditions
• selected antibiotics for uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women.

Participating community pharmacist immunisers will be able to administer select travel and other vaccines.

The treatments included in the pilot were chosen to align with similar pilots in Queensland and New South Wales, as well as other established community pharmacist programs worldwide.

The treatments selected are low risk medications commonly prescribed as part of routine, high-volume primary care.

For example, UTIs are the third most common human infection in women; oral contraceptives are the most used method of birth control in Australia among women; and mild skin conditions are common amongst Victorians.

While the pilot is available to pharmacies throughout Victoria, individual pharmacies can choose whether to participate.

Pharmacists, pharmacy owners and pharmacy premises will need to meet strict eligibility criteria to be able to participate in the pilot.

Information about which community pharmacies are participating in the pilot will be available on this webpage once the pilot commences.

All registered pharmacists undertake extensive study in all aspects of medicines as part of undergraduate studies.

Community pharmacists will be required to complete further training to participate in the pilot, to ensure they can safely provide the approved medications under the pilot, and provide pre-travel healthcare, including vaccination services.

Where there is consent from you to do so, the pharmacist will inform your regular GP and or your general practice of the consultation and the treatment.

My Health Record will be updated with the treatments where relevant and if there is appropriate consent.

Community pharmacists will follow detailed protocols to ensure the right treatment is provided in the right place with the right health practitioner. The pilot will focus on lower complexity treatments/medications for individuals with uncomplicated healthcare needs.

If an individual requires more complex care, pharmacists will refer them back to their GP.

Under the pilot there will be no charge for you to see the pharmacist to receive care under the Pilot.

The cost of the medications if you need them, would be no more than if you were to get an equivalent prescription from your GP.

Participating community pharmacies will be required to have a MedAdvisor subscription to deliver services within the pilot. The subscription tiers required for the various clinical streams are listed in the table below.

Fill out the MedAdvisor Subscription Amendment Form or email info@medadvisor.com.au to add or amend a subscription tier.

The EOI form will require a MedAdvisor ID number if you have one. Visit MedAdvisor to access your MedAdvisor ID for the EOI form.

The pilot aims to test a new model primary health care, delivered through community pharmacies, to improve timely access to common, low risk medications.

his might especially benefit women and those living in areas where it is hard to get a general practitioner (GP) appointment. It also aims to ease pressure on GPs so that they can focus on providing more complex care.

Having a structured prescribing arrangement in place will provide participating community pharmacists with a limited authorisation to dispense, administer, supply and sell certain Schedule 4 ‘prescription only’ medications without a prescription from a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner.

This must be done according to an established guideline, protocol or standing order. It is lower risk compared to ‘autonomous prescribing’ and requires less comprehensive training.

This structured prescribing arrangement is consistent with that of the current New South Wales Pharmacy Trial and completed Queensland Urinary Tract Infection Pharmacy Pilot.

People who seek treatment from a community pharmacist under the pilot but who do not meet the eligibility criteria will be referred to an appropriate health practitioner, such as their GP.

Relevant referral pathways will be considered by the Pilot’s Clinical Reference Group and included in the clinical protocols for the Pilot.

Expressions of interest are now open for pharmacies who want to participate - submit your EOI here.

The pilot will take an opt-in approach where community pharmacies and registered pharmacists working within these pharmacies can choose to join the pilot. There is no cap on the number of pharmacies or pharmacists which can join the pilot.

Pharmacy owners, pharmacy premises and registered pharmacists must meet all eligibility requirements to be able to participate in the Pilot.

Under the pilot, community pharmacies will receive $20 from the Victorian Government for each patient consultation conducted to assess whether the patient needs in-scope healthcare. This payment is unique to the Victorian pilot and covers increased time and administration to undertake patient consultations and collect data.

Community pharmacists will also be reimbursed for any Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Gaps in the medicines dispensed, and this will vary depending on the medication. This will ensure the cost to pharmacies for these medications will be the same as the cost under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.