The passage of legislation that enables the Victorian community pharmacist prescribing pilot has been welcomed by the state’s Pharmacy Guild branch, which stated that this is an important step towards expanding the role of community pharmacists. The amendments to the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 that were passed today by the Victorian Parliament creates the power to legally authorise pharmacists to supply certain prescription medicines to enable the 12-month pharmacist prescribing pilot, said the Guild. This follows the 2023/24 Victorian State Budget allocation of $20 million to support the delivery of the Andrews Labor Government’s election commitment to a 12-month expanded scope of practice pilot for pharmacists. Under the pharmacist prescribing pilot, appropriately trained community pharmacists will be able to reissue repeat prescriptions of oral contraceptives, treat minor skin conditions and provide antibiotics for the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs). Pharmacist immunisers participating in the pharmacist prescribing pilot will also be authorised to administer select travel vaccines following the completion of additional training. Victorian Pharmacy Guild Branch President Anthony Tassone said, “the community pharmacist prescribing pilot will allow community pharmacists to use their clinical expertise to provide patients with timely and effective treatment for a selection of common health conditions”. “Authorising pharmacists to treat uncomplicated UTIs, skin conditions and issue repeat oral contraceptive prescriptions is a practical step that will help relieve the burden on our overstretched health system and ensure patients have access to the routine healthcare services they need,” explained Tassone. The Victorian pharmacist prescribing pilot would follow a successful UTI pilot in Queensland, which has seen pharmacist treatment of UTIs become a permanent program, and a NSW UTI pharmacy prescribing trial, which began in May. To participate in the Victorian pharmacist prescribing pilot, community pharmacists will need to complete additional training and will be required to follow clear structured protocols and guidelines for prescribing the medicines, shared Tassone. The Victorian pharmacist prescribing pilot program is due to commence from Oct this year. The Pharmacy Guild stated it is among the expert advisory and clinical groups providing guidance to the Victorian gov’t on the design and implementation of the pharmacist prescribing pilot.