Autonomous pharmacist prescribing for COPD, asthma, CVD risk reduction and contraception would cut GP appointments by 10 million a year, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia says.

The guild has again commissioned modelling on the apparent benefits of letting pharmacists diagnose medical conditions and prescribe S4 drugs, this time from health consultancy firm Health Technology Analysts.

The firm’s report suggests that, with these four conditions, pharmacists could help avert $1 billion in health spending by preventing 30,000 hospitalisations and replacing GP and non-GP specialist appointments.

“This redistribution of care would increase effective GP capacity, enabling medical practitioners to focus on more complex patients within the existing workforce while reducing wait times and improving timely access, particularly in rural and remote communities,” it says.