The Pharmacy Board of Australia says it is planning to roll out national standards for education and training that allow pharmacists to prescribe independently.

Back in 2019, the board said it was not going to push for autonomous prescribing for pharmacists, following a drawn-out consultation on the possibility. 

But since then, the Queensland Government has forged ahead with a plan to let pharmacists diagnose and treat 23 conditions, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension and reflux.  

And last week, NSW’s Minister for Health told Nine Newspapers he was interested in following Queensland’s lead.