Allowing pharmacists to initiate and supply oral contraceptives would free up around 730,000 GP appointments per year, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia says.

This would save the government $32 million annually in “avoided” GP appointments and women $23 million in out-of-pocket costs, according to the guild-commissioned report.

In addition, pharmacist management of hormonal contraception was estimated to prevent 194 unintended pregnancies each year, avoiding indirect costs such as childcare and lost wages.

Together, this added up to further savings of around $33 million each year, with the total annual benefit reaching $94.5 million.