Let pharmacists adjust dosages, says health policy expert
But they must work under a GP-approved management plan that 'prioritises the doctor-patient relationship'
Pharmacists should be allowed to adjust medication dosages and issue repeat scripts but only under a GP-approved management plan, a former health department secretary says.
The call follows the release of a Pharmacy Board of Australia discussion paper outlining three models for future pharmacist prescribing (see box below).
Professor Stephen Duckett says community pharmacists should be allowed to prescribe repeats of long-term medications for patients with stable conditions for up to 18 months.
And pharmacists could take on a role in adjusting dosages or altering medications, he says.
