As pharmacy prescribing becomes more common across Australia, a new report sheds light on the performance of Victoria’s pilot program—now set to become permanent.
Last week, the Victorian Government confirmed that pharmacists will keep their expanded powers to prescribe treatments for 22 conditions. Patients can access these services through free consultations without needing a GP referral.
The Community Pharmacist Statewide Pilot began in October 2023. An independent evaluation was conducted in late 2024, and a summary of the findings has just been released—three days after the State Budget confirmed permanent funding for the program.
The report provides rare insight into how pharmacy prescribing is working in practice, following a similar evaluation of Queensland’s UTI prescribing pilot in 2022.
According to the report, over 800 pharmacists delivered more than 23,000 services in the pilot’s first year. The review found no serious safety issues and reported consistently high patient satisfaction. People from all 80 of Victoria’s Local Government Areas used the services. Among those surveyed, 93% accessed care within 24 hours and 97% were satisfied with their experience.
Shorter wait times were a major reason patients chose pharmacy-based care. About 41% cited quick access as a key factor, and 87% said they would have gone to a GP if the pilot hadn’t been available.
However, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) raised concerns about the timing of the report’s release. RACGP Victoria Chair Dr Anita Muñoz criticised the delay, saying the report had been completed months ago but was released only after the government confirmed the program’s permanency.
“We haven’t had enough time to digest the findings,” Dr Muñoz told *newsGP*. While she acknowledged the report’s claim of no serious safety concerns, she questioned the definition of “serious harm,” which was limited to outcomes such as life-saving interventions or permanent injury.
“We need more data on missed diagnoses, medication errors, antibiotic use, and how patient privacy is maintained in pharmacies,” she said.
Dr Muñoz called the move to make the pilot permanent “deeply disappointing” and a step backward. She reiterated the RACGP’s long-standing concern that such programs risk creating fragmented care and undermining patient safety.
According to the report, safety and quality were central to the pilot’s design. Pharmacists followed clinical guidelines and received training to provide certain Schedule 4 medicines and vaccines. Services included:
- Resupply of some oral contraceptives
- Treatment for uncomplicated UTIs
- Care for shingles and mild plaque psoriasis
- Vaccinations for travel and diseases like hepatitis A and B, polio, and typhoid
Most services were for UTIs (46%) and contraceptive resupply (27%). Around 84% of users were women. Vaccinations accounted for 26% of services, and treatment for skin conditions made up 1%.
Across all services delivered, just 49 complaints or feedback cases were reported. Regulators found no cases of serious harm, and minor non-compliance issues were addressed.
The report also discussed information sharing with GPs. Pharmacists were encouraged—but not required—to provide patients with a summary letter to give to their doctor. About 68% of pharmacists said they created this letter. In some cases, details were uploaded to My Health Record. Privacy laws limited direct data sharing without patient consent.
Dr Muñoz warned that this patient-led process could harm continuity of care. “We shouldn’t expect patients to carry letters from pharmacists to their GPs,” she said. “We need a system that supports secure, team-based care.”
Looking ahead, Dr Muñoz said the RACGP would continue to advocate for strong clinical standards and safeguard the role of GPs. “We can’t sacrifice quality care for convenience,” she said. “Fragmented services can confuse patients and lead to a two-tiered health system. Coordinated care leads to better outcomes and fewer hospital visits.”
Related Topics:
