West ern Australian women suffering from urinary tract infection (UTI) symptoms can now be treated by their local pharmacy, a move which has been welcomed by both the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. The state’s Health Minister, Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson, announced at last week’s Pharmacy WA Forum 2023 that registered pharmacists working in community pharmacy, who have completed approved training, are authorised to supply antibiotics for the treatment of uncomplicated UTIs. Patients must be between the ages of 18 and 65 with anatomical female urinary tract, with symptoms indicative of uncomplicated UTI and meeting all clinical inclusion criteria, in order to be eligible for pharmacy treatment. The Guild WA Branch President Andrew Ngeow praised the decision, saying “almost three quarters of a million Western Australian women are able to benefit from increased access to primary health care through community pharmacies”. The announcement means Western Australian women won’t have to face lengthy waiting times for treatment at their GP, the Guild pointed out. “Pharmacist Initiated Treatment of Urinary Tract Infection through a community pharmacy will give eligible women across Western Australia access to convenient, safe, and timely treatment options,” Ngeow said. PSA WA President Kristian Ray voiced a similiar sentiment, sharing “pharmacists are well positioned to play a greater role in primary health care and will make UTI treatments more accessible for more West Australians”. “There are hundreds of thousands of women living in Western Australia that will benefit from this policy, particularly in rural and remote WA where there are significant barriers to accessing timely care. “This program is about improving access to care where it is clinically appropriate, and working with the rest of the primary care team to promote a collaborative care model for Western Australians,” she explained. PSA’s Managing Uncomplicated Cystitis (Urinary Tract Infection) training program is now available to all WA pharmacists – more here.