Specially trained pharmacists could be allowed to prescribe if they are working under a doctor and if they are not involved with any retail pharmacy, the AMA says.

However, the Pharmacy Board of Australia needs to find some evidence that change is necessary before moving ahead with its plan to give pharmacists prescribing rights, the AMA has argued.

The pharmacy board is pushing for pharmacists to be allowed to prescribe S4 and S8 medicines, claiming that more prescribers are needed to make up for a doctor shortage.

It has been consulting since March on three possible models under which pharmacists could begin writing scripts, including a proposal for autonomous prescribing by pharmacists with postgraduate qualifications.