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Major change in pharmacies in an Australian state that will make it easier than ever to get a disease
- Workers will be able to get free sick notes from chemists
- The changes are part of a $5 million health care plan.
- Pharmacists will also be able to prescribe more medications
Sick notes will soon be available free of charge in hundreds of Australian pharmacies, meaning sick workers will no longer have to book an appointment to see a doctor to get a medical certificate.
Pharmacists in NSW who have private practices can already provide absence slips for simple conditions like colds and stomach upsets, though they cost at least $20 to the patient.
However, under a new $5 million test due to begin on April 1 and be announced as part of NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet’s bid for re-election on March 25, these inquiries will now be billed In block.
Part of the NSW government’s rationale for the trial is that pharmacies often open later than doctors and that would free up GPs to deal with more complex appointments.
Also included in the reforms is the concession to qualified pharmacists to be able to diagnose and prescribe treatments for urinary tract infections and prescribe repetitions of the contraceptive pill.
New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet announced the changes to the election campaign on Monday.
Under the Fair Work Act 2009, pharmacists across Australia have the authority to issue ‘Absence from Work’ certificates, however this is not free and can only be issued for minor ailments.
Getting a sick note will be much easier in NSW from April 1 under a new Perrottet government scheme (file image)
Dominic Perrottet announced the campaign reforms on the Monday before the March 25 election (pictured with NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard)
The NSW test gives pharmacists more power and frees state residents from having to pay for the certificate.
While NSW Labor leader Chris Minns backs the plan, not all doctors are convinced.
Dr Catherine Hespe, president of the Royal Australian College of GPs, said the scheme could fragment care, with pharmacists and doctors not knowing what treatments the other is prescribing.
“If there’s a problem, let’s figure out how to solve it…let’s solve it nationally,” said Dr. Hespe.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler welcomed pharmacists being able to prescribe the contraceptive pill.
He said states were finding innovative ways to use the skills of health care workers as much as possible to help take pressure off the Medicare system.
“At a time when the country has skyrocketing demand for good healthcare and limited supply of workers, it doesn’t make sense for everyone not to operate to the best of their skills and training,” he told ABC Radio Perth.
Chemists can already offer sick notes for minor conditions, but they come with a fee (file image)
But the vice president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Bruce Willett, said the proposal was a “band-aid solution”.
“The current standard of care is long-acting reversible contraceptives and none of these could be prescribed by a pharmacist,” he said.
“Because pharmacists won’t have access to these other forms of contraception, we’re concerned that patients won’t have access to or even know about those options.”