PHARMACIST PRESCRIBING MODEL GETS FURTHER SUPPORT FROM STATE HEALTH Training rolls out to support full scope of practice for pharmacists ready and interested
With
Kate Gunthorpe,
Pharmacist Implementation & Change Specialist
TerryWhite Chemmart &
Adjunct Lecturer & Examiner
James Cook University &
Pharmacist Prescriber,
Brisbane Metro, Rural and Regional
Esmond Biesiek-Wright, Pharmacist & Network Partner,
TerryWhite Chemmart Compounding Ainslie (ACT)
EARNED MEDIA SEGMENT
Filmed in Brisbane & Canberra | September 2025
Legislative and regulatory changes following the success of the pharmacist prescriber model in Queensland are continuing with NSW Premier Chris Minns in early September 2025 announcing additional training centres from 2026, making permanent pharmacist treatment for certain dermatological conditions and outlining plans to assess pharmacists prescribing antiviral medications for influenza.
A full scope pharmacist prescriber model allows pharmacists to independently prescribe medicines within their professional competence, without requiring prior doctor authorisation. It extends pharmacists’ role beyond dispensing to include assessment, diagnosis of minor and chronic conditions, initiation and modification of therapy, and ongoing patient monitoring. This model integrates pharmacists into primary care teams, aiming to improve timely access to treatment, reduce pressure on general practitioners, and enhance continuity of care. Pharmacists use their clinical knowledge, patient records, and collaborative pathways to ensure safe prescribing. The model emphasises training, regulation, and accountability to maintain high standards of patient safety.
Pharmacist prescribing plays a crucial role in alleviating the pressure on emergency services and general practitioners, allowing pharmacists to enhance their skills and job satisfaction while welcoming more pharmacy students into the workforce for fulfilling careers. Kate Gunthorpe, an Implementation and Change Specialist at TerryWhite Chemmart and a pharmacist prescriber serving Brisbane and its surrounding areas, points to a pilot program established in Far North Queensland that were the origins of the model. This initiative permitted pharmacists to autonomously prescribe for 22 common acute conditions without the need for GP intervention.
At present, Queensland stands at the forefront of full-scope pharmacist prescribing, with Northern Territory and Western Australia beginning educational programs to support this practice. Other regions, including Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia, are developing similar programs, while Australian Capital Territory is expected to follow suit shortly in early 2026.
Esmond Biesiek-Wright, a partner pharmacist at TerryWhite Chemmart Compounding Ainslie, spoke to Australian Health Journal. He emphasises the importance of fostering collaboration with GPs, noting a shift from transactional interactions to more collegial relationships, to support the patient needs.
Since beginning her training for pharmacist prescribing through James Cook University, Kate is dedicated to ensuring her community benefits from these advancements and is optimistic about the future of pharmacist prescribing across Australia, promoting better health outcomes for all.
Source: Written by AUDIENCED
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Peter Thomson is Academic Head of Dentistry and Professor of Oral & Maxillofacial Sciences in the College of Medicine & Dentistry at James Cook University, Australia. A UK and Australian specialist in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Medicine, he qualified BDS from Manchester University and MBBS from Newcastle upon Tyne, gaining Fellowships in Dental Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Ireland and Glasgow and a Fellowship in Surgery from Edinburgh, specializing in Head & Neck Oncology.
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Professor Michael Valenzuela is a science opinion leader, innovator and creative thinker with a career-long commitment to the prevention and treatment of dementia.
Following that he completed graduate medicine and medical training at the Prince of Wales Hospital. In 2012, he established the Regenerative Neuroscience Group at the University of Sydney, and in 2017 became the university’s first Professor of Regenerative Medicine.
Professor Valenzuela’s group discovered a new cell type with potential for regenerative medicine, a rare neural precursor cell found deep within the human hair follicle. He is the main inventor on several related patents and is the Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Skin2Neuron – a biotech company developing the first neurorestorative cell therapy for Alzheimer’s disease based on this work.
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Alfred Hospital leading in pharmacy services for critically unwell patients
Cristina Roman, is the Lead Pharmacist at Alfred Emergency Trauma Centre. In her 12 years working in the Emergency Department, Cristina has established pharmacy services, and filled gaps in patient care with new models of care.
One of those models of care adopted by the US and other countries, is involving pharmacists for critically unwell patients that present to the emergency department.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Cristina Roman and Lisa Bremner, Advanced Training Resident Pharmacist at Alfred Hospital Emergency Trauma Centre.
