Medical professionals urge NSW Premier to freeze pharmacist prescribing expansion

Five peak medical organisations, including surgeons, physicians, and GPs, have issued an urgent joint appeal to New South Wales Premier Chris Minns to freeze plans to expand pharmacist prescribing powers. The medical group expressed serious safety concerns regarding the autonomous prescribing of treatments for ear infections, wound care, hypertension, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Representatives from the Australian Medical Association NSW, including President Fred Betros, argued that treating these conditions requires expert diagnosis and patient history that only medical practitioners can provide. They cautioned that expanding these powers carries significant risks for patient outcomes and characterized the move as a substitution of healthcare rather than a collaborative model.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia has dismissed these concerns, accusing medical professionals of prioritizing self-interest over patient needs and citing long GP waiting times as a justification for the expansion.