Tasmania pilot to commence 1st March
Tasmanian pharmacists may be aware of the Tasmanian Community Pharmacy Program, scheduled to go live on 1 March 2024. Endorsed pharmacists practising in approved premises will be able to prescribe antibiotics for uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs). PDL continues to support the profession and members in the provision of professional services. PDL representatives have provided […]
NSW regulatory updates
Psychostimulant changes The PDL Professional Officers would like to bring to the attention of NSW pharmacists some recent regulatory changes regarding the requirements to prescribe the Schedule 8 psychostimulant medicines dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine and methylphenidate. As NSW pharmacists are aware, an authority/approval from the NSW Ministry of Health is required to prescribe or supply dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine […]
Maintaining professional boundaries: A reminder for pharmacists
Meridian Lawyers has collaborated with PDL to prepare an article about professional boundaries and the types of conduct that are likely to be the subject of complaint to regulators. The article references Ahpra’s 2022/23 annual report, which revealed 841 notifications involving possible failures to maintain appropriate professional boundaries. At the lower end of the spectrum, […]
Pharmacy Board of Australia 2023-24 registration renewal
Every year, PDL receives calls from pharmacists who have overlooked their Pharmacy Board of Australia (PBA) registration renewal. This may happen due to renewal reminders being quarantined in junk or spam folders, or changes to email and postal addresses and mobile numbers. Ahpra attempts to contact lapsed registrants through all such means, but this can […]
Medicinal cannabis
The prescribing and supply of medicinal cannabis is a rapidly expanding area of practice in Australia. With this emerging field comes the need for comprehensive risk management considerations and strategies to ensure patient safety and regulatory compliance. The following explores some essential risk management considerations for pharmacists who are involved in this area of practice. […]
NSW Pharmacy Trial expression of interest closes 15 November
Pharmacists have limited time left to register their interest in their pharmacy taking part in the NSW Pharmacy Trial, with the expression of interest process scheduled to close at 5pm on 15 November 2023. The trial aims to allow appropriately trained pharmacists to provide community access to important medications and treatments that are usually only […]
Delaying or declining supply of medication
The PDL Professional Officers often manage calls, incident reports and occasional regulatory complaints following a pharmacist’s decision to decline supply of a medication. Recently, the Professional Officers have also taken calls from pharmacists seeking advice on declining supply when they believe the prescribing of a 60-day supply (60 Day Dispensing or 60DD) does not align […]
Victorian Community Pharmacist Statewide Pilot announcement
Victorian pharmacists may be aware of the Community Pharmacist Statewide Pilot scheduled to go live towards the end of October. PDL continues to support the profession and members in the provision of professional services. PDL representatives have provided input to the Department of Health regarding risk management for this service. For those pharmacists considering joining […]
NSW/ACT Pharmacy Trial – extended supply of oral contraceptive pills by community pharmacists
The NSW Government-sponsored Pharmacy Trial for the extended supply of oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) by community pharmacists commenced on 27 September 2023. The trial aims to evaluate the implementation and impact of the provision of OCPs to applicable patients by approved pharmacists. The evaluation will consider patient safety, accessibility, patient acceptability and cost-effectiveness. The University […]
Administration of buprenorphine depot injection by WA pharmacists
On 13 September 2023, the WA Government released a new Structured Administration and Supply Arrangement (SASA) that authorises a registered pharmacist trained in the Community Program for Opioid Pharmacotherapy (CPOP) to administer depot buprenorphine when requested by the patient and prescriber. Checklist before providing this service Confirm insurance cover PDL continues to support the profession and […]
