I totally concur with Dr Jason King’s grave concern for the small Aboriginal community that he and his GP colleagues so ably care for.

Dr King is director of clinical services at Gurriny Yealamucka Health Service in Yarrabah and recently spoke out against the planned ‘trial’ of pharmacists in Far North Queensland to diagnose, prescribe and dispense for 23 common medical conditions.

It turns out his community will be one of the trial sites — even though there is no shortage of GPs and the local pharmacy, which he says could start offering a service for diagnosing, prescribing and dispensing medications for conditions like diabetes, COPD and wound care, doesn’t have a consultation room.

It currently serves patients through a secure mesh, he wrote.