Pharmacists will be allowed to treat ear infections and wounds and help manage chronic conditions under a new NSW prescribing trial that doctors’ groups have already branded a threat to patient safety and antimicrobial stewardship.

Premier Chris Minns announced the latest expansion at the Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s annual conference, declaring his government was “not backing down” from its pharmacy reforms.

He then went on to flag further possible expansions involving asthma medicines and antivirals in aged care.

No start date for the new trial has been given. Nor is there information on which medicines pharmacists will be authorised to prescribe and dispense and no detail on eligibility, referral and other clinical safeguards which will apply.