The RACGP has called on Queensland’s new health minister to revoke pharmacists’ UTI prescribing rights after the final evaluation of its statewide pilot showed 200 women were inappropriately treated.

The Queensland Government made pharmacist diagnosis and treatment of UTIs a permanent part of the health system last year, based on an interim report of its pilot program, which covered 7000 patients.

It was only this month that the final report, which covered 10 extra months of pharmacists diagnosing and treating UTIs among an additional 3000 patients, was published.

It showed what the researchers called “some evidence of protocol deviation” — namely, the treatment of 192 patients who were ineligible under the pilot’s protocol as a result of recurrent or relapsing UTIs.