Starting today, eligible pharmacists in NSW will be able to prescribe the contraceptive pill to women over the age of 18 without a GP consultation.
It follows an existing scheme allowing women who have taken the pill for two years to continue getting it from a pharmacist without a prescription.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said the aim is to make access to basic healthcare easier “without extra cost or hassle.”
However, Australia’s peak GP body has raised safety concerns.
Here’s what you need to know.
Context
Until now, pharmacists in NSW could only supply the pill without a prescription to women aged 18 to 49 who had already been taking it for two years.
Wednesday’s announcement means women over 18 who have never had a script can access the pill without seeing a GP.
Around 60 pharmacists are already eligible to provide the pill. More will be added as they complete specialised training to be able to offer the service.
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The Government will cover the first 5,000 consultations with a trained pharmacist under the new scheme.
After that, consultations are expected to cost between $20 and $60.
Women will also be able to access other forms of contraception through their pharmacist, including the hormonal contraceptive ring and contraceptive injections.
Concerns
The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has previously criticised similar moves in other states, arguing they risk distancing patients from doctors and undermine safety.
In March, RACGP Vice President Dr Ramya Raman called a decision by the Federal Government to allow pharmacist prescribing a “lobbyist-led” call that puts “politics ahead of patient safety.”
The RACGP’s concerns centre partly on a 2021 decision by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), rejecting applications to make the pill available without a prescription.
The TGA said at the time that it did not believe “the benefits of supply from a pharmacist outweigh the risks to women’s health when supplied without consultation from a medical practitioner.”
However, Pharmacy Guild of Australia NSW Senior Vice President Catherine Bronger said the expansion is “vital to improving access for women facing cost, time or postcode barriers to seeing a GP.”
