The Australian government is making audacious moves to do the best by all health professionals, including pharmacists. We’re doing this together so we can more dramatically change the landscape of healthcare accessibility for all. We appreciate that this initiative recognizes the centrality of improving community health, not just healthcare to this effort. This program expands the practice of pharmacists allowing them to treat multiple conditions, provide contraceptive resupply, and administer vaccinations without needing an in-person doctor’s visit.
We’re committed to building a greater role for pharmacists in the CPP. By 2026, pharmacists will be able to provide a possible 22 various health and wellness services. With the Victorian government confirming that the program will become permanent starting July 1, along with a funding allocation of $40 million, the initiative has already garnered attention. In its first year, over 830 unique pharmacies enrolled in the program. Approximately 27 percent of them are located in rural or regional areas, indicating an intentional effort to address healthcare provider shortages in these communities.
Expanding Roles for Pharmacists
Local community pharmacies have gained an impressive reputation for being the lynchpin of the healthcare system, especially in rural and regional Victoria. According to a spokesperson from the Victorian Department of Health, “Local pharmacies play a valuable role in our health system, especially in regional Victoria.” Our rural communities are in crisis right now, due to a lack of access to healthcare resources. This recognition of the crisis calls for action on these fronts.
Milawa, a small town in north-eastern Victoria, has no public hospital and no resident local GP. In turn, residents rely on their pharmacy as a one-stop shop for all their healthcare needs. The nearest regional centre, Wangaratta, is over 20km from the community. Additionally, there are no doctors at all between Milawa and Mansfield, around 100 kilometres from the town itself. In times like these, pharmacists such as Sherwin Kashani often find themselves going above and beyond the call of duty.
“People come in to me needing all sorts of things. That’s when I have to go beyond what I would normally be expected to do as a pharmacist.” – Sherwin Kashani
This expansion of pharmacist responsibilities isn’t just for convenience. It meets crucial health care needs in underserved areas. Research has proven that rural pharmacists already practice oral health education. They cover issues such as improving brushing habits and making better dietary choices three times per week.
The Community Pharmacist Program
The CPP pilot allows pharmacists to treat conditions such as shingles and administer vaccinations without prior consultation with a doctor. Kellie Saunders, a pharmacist based in Clunes, expressed optimism about the program’s potential impact on her community:
“[The program] also recognizes the trust communities place in pharmacists and ensures we can continue to serve our communities in a timely manner, helping also to ease the burden on our broader healthcare system.” – Kellie Saunders
It’s been an incredible and rapid evolution for the program! Soon it will include oral care services as well, greatly increasing the scope of practice for pharmacists. This long-overdue improvement responds to the demands and expectations of an increasingly active community.
Not all stakeholders see this direction as a cure-all. Dr. Anita Muñoz has raised alarms about how sustainable it is to depend on pharmacists to deliver so many primary health services. She said making sure there are enough GPs in rural and regional areas is key to long-term solutions.
“Making sure there are enough GPs where they’re needed is the solution. Anything else is just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.” – Dr. Anita Muñoz
Addressing Healthcare Access Challenges
The CPP underscores the vital connection between improving access to care and delivering high-quality healthcare. Australians already visit their community pharmacy an average of 18 times per year, highlighting their place as frontline healthcare professionals. Despite these advancements, many others still struggle to receive care in the current healthcare ecosystem, forcing them into costly visits at hospitals’ emergency departments.
Yet Dr. Muñoz warned not to be lulled into complacency with programs such as CPP, while the basic pipeline of healthcare providers is still lacking. She underscored the fact that these measures could provide short-term relief. Yet, in doing so, they might inadvertently be setting themselves up for even bigger problems down the line.
“At best it ticks a box and allows for the announcement of some kind of solution. At worst and in the long term, it’s likely to cause more problems than it solves.” – Dr. Anita Muñoz
The demand for mobile and cost effective healthcare has never been more urgent, particularly in our rural communities where healthcare options are limited. Understandably, programs like the CPP are changing fast. They give us a glimpse into a possible future where pharmacists are more central to patient care.
