❓ The Minister for Health outlines initiatives to relieve pressure on primary care, focusing on expanding pharmacists' scope of practice, specifically UTI prescribing for women, and highlights the program's success in reducing GP appointments.
AnsweredQoN 80Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HEALTH — PRIMARY CARE SERVICES
80. Ms J.L. HANNS to the Minister for Health:
I
refer to action being taken by the Cook Labor government to address demand
facing Western Australia's health system.
(1) Can the
minister outline how this government is delivering new initiatives to relieve
pressure on primary care services, such as general practitioners?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how these initiatives are allowing Western Australians
to access timely, appropriate and convenient healthcare services?
80. Ms J.L. HANNS to the Minister for Health:
I
refer to action being taken by the Cook Labor government to address demand
facing Western Australia's health system.
(1) Can the
minister outline how this government is delivering new initiatives to relieve
pressure on primary care services, such as general practitioners?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how these initiatives are allowing Western Australians
to access timely, appropriate and convenient healthcare services?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Collie–Preston for her question. We know that
health care is busy and that access to
primary care can be really challenging, particularly in regional areas. The
cost of primary care and seeing a general
practitioner is increasing. Many GPs are finding it harder to entirely bulk
bill for their communities because of the increase in the cost of
running those services. We know that the state has a small number of levers on
healthcare costs, other than providing an outstanding public health system.
However, one of those levers is to support pharmacists in their scope of
practice. It was to deliver on a national cabinet commitment and agreement that
all states would look at how they could expand the scope of practice for their
pharmacy community. The first cab off the rank, if you like, in that expansion
of scope of practice in Western Australia was the expansion of urinary tract
infection prescribing, mostly for women. This was also part of the sustainable health review that was initiated by the former
Minister for Health, now Premier, upon
coming into government in 2017. It was chaired by Robyn Kruk, who is an
independent expert in health administration with over 30 years of
experience. Scope of practice and delivering care in the community was a big thing in the recommendations of that review.
This is one program that is delivering on creating low-barrier access to
affordable care.
Since January, we have had 250
participating pharmacies across the state, which is fantastic. Pharmacists have
to undergo training at regular points to maintain their competencies. Not
everyone gets prescribed. Sometimes, if the
pharmacist is not quite sure that it meets the uncomplicated UTI description,
they will refer them to a GP. The program is for when someone presents
with an uncomplicated UTI. Quite frankly, 98
per cent of women who have had one before know when they get one again, and it
can take up to two weeks to get in to see a GP. We have 250
participating pharmacies; two of those are in Collie, the member will be glad
to know. We have delivered 600 occasions of
service since we started the program. That has saved 600 GP appointments ,
which is an incredible uptake. This is just one of the many ways that the Cook
Labor government is supporting women, and it
also aligns with the national women's health strategy to give them
faster and better access to health care.
We are working with pharmacists, the
Australian Medical Association and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners on what the next round of
scope expansion will be. It is likely to continue to support women and
their health. I look forward to the outcome of that working group.
thank the member for Collie–Preston for her question. We know that
health care is busy and that access to
primary care can be really challenging, particularly in regional areas. The
cost of primary care and seeing a general
practitioner is increasing. Many GPs are finding it harder to entirely bulk
bill for their communities because of the increase in the cost of
running those services. We know that the state has a small number of levers on
healthcare costs, other than providing an outstanding public health system.
However, one of those levers is to support pharmacists in their scope of
practice. It was to deliver on a national cabinet commitment and agreement that
all states would look at how they could expand the scope of practice for their
pharmacy community. The first cab off the rank, if you like, in that expansion
of scope of practice in Western Australia was the expansion of urinary tract
infection prescribing, mostly for women. This was also part of the sustainable health review that was initiated by the former
Minister for Health, now Premier, upon
coming into government in 2017. It was chaired by Robyn Kruk, who is an
independent expert in health administration with over 30 years of
experience. Scope of practice and delivering care in the community was a big thing in the recommendations of that review.
This is one program that is delivering on creating low-barrier access to
affordable care.
Since January, we have had 250
participating pharmacies across the state, which is fantastic. Pharmacists have
to undergo training at regular points to maintain their competencies. Not
everyone gets prescribed. Sometimes, if the
pharmacist is not quite sure that it meets the uncomplicated UTI description,
they will refer them to a GP. The program is for when someone presents
with an uncomplicated UTI. Quite frankly, 98
per cent of women who have had one before know when they get one again, and it
can take up to two weeks to get in to see a GP. We have 250
participating pharmacies; two of those are in Collie, the member will be glad
to know. We have delivered 600 occasions of
service since we started the program. That has saved 600 GP appointments ,
which is an incredible uptake. This is just one of the many ways that the Cook
Labor government is supporting women, and it
also aligns with the national women's health strategy to give them
faster and better access to health care.
We are working with pharmacists, the
Australian Medical Association and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners on what the next round of
scope expansion will be. It is likely to continue to support women and
their health. I look forward to the outcome of that working group.
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