Dozens more pharmacists in Queensland will be able to diagnose, prescribe and provide referrals for a range of common acute and chronic health conditions after completing a James Cook University program.
About 160 pharmacists have completed JCU's Graduate Certificate of Advanced Practice and Prescribing for Pharmacists, giving them the ability to manage a range of acute and chronic conditions and provide health and wellbeing services.
The pharmacists are the first all-JCU trained cohort, marking a new era – and capability - for the university and local pharmacists alike.
JCU Head of Pharmacy Associate Professor John Smithson said the course would help alleviate the existing burden on the primary care health system, "complementing the important contribution of local general practitioners and other primary care providers to the health of people in our communities".
"The motivation to offer this course was centred around the needs of the community and the profession. We want to stand up a group of health professionals who are extraordinarily well-trained but somewhat under-utilised in the primary care space" he said.
"We've given them the skills they need to go back into their communities and deliver these services."
The part-time course sees pharmacists trained to manage a range of common acute conditions such as gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, skin, and ear, nose and throat (ENT) ailments.
Health and wellbeing interventions such as contraception, weight management, smoking cessation and cardiovascular chronic disease management programs are also part of the training.
Associate Prof Smithson said the course was designed to produce graduates that would complement existing primary health care providers and offer patients another option when it comes to an initial and ongoing consultation for treatment.
"We've been very careful about constructing this course using a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach so as to avoid disrupting or undoing the existing primary care services," he said.
"Reflecting best practice care, the training puts the patient at the centre, acknowledging the contribution of the broad church of primary healthcare professionals make to patient care.
"In scenarios where the patient needs the expertise of another professional group, the pharmacist can make the appropriate referral - to the physiotherapist, dentist or general practitioner – whichever is the most appropriate.
"At the same time, having full scope-trained pharmacists provide an enormous opportunity for disease screening, simply because of the accessibility of community pharmacy practice.
Associate Prof Smithson said in addition to improving healthcare access in rural, regional and remote Queensland, JCU's course has now proven its value elsewhere in the state.
"Because we've expanded our teaching into south-east Queensland, we are seeing those communities benefiting from flexible access to quality healthcare these pharmacies offer," he said.
"Many people cannot attend appointments with their GP during their working day, and community pharmacy clinics typically offer extended hours.
"As we develop more graduates, the availability of full scope-trained pharmacists will increase, as will the provision of services during and outside of the traditional business hours, thus improving patient access."
Associate Prof Smithson said the course, which is delivered in a mixed-mode with face-to-face residential components, will now expand into Darwin in a further boost for healthcare in northern Australia.
"It's an opportunity to build capacity in the Territory in collaboration with Charles Darwin University, the Northern Territory Government and NT Health to facilitate the training of Northern Territory pharmacists," he said.
"Many of these pharmacists are working in remote areas or in communities with limited health access and we hope to help establish a group of pharmacists who can deliver services to Northern Territorians, giving time for the local University and other professional organisations to give them the capacity to develop and deliver this training independently."
