Thousands of people with common skin conditions will soon be able to get their treatment undertaken at their local pharmacy under the expanded NSW Pharmacy Trial.
The trial will allow people with conditions such as impetigo, shingles, mild to moderate eczema and mild plaque psoriasis to visit a participating pharmacy to be treated by an appropriately trained pharmacist. The cost of the consultation will be free for patients, but they will have to pay for any medications they receive.
The trial is expected to run until February 28, 2025, or until all trial-supported consultations have been completed. It is currently recruiting pharmacists for the trial, with those interested in participating being asked to contact their local pharmacy.
The expansion of the trial is part of the ongoing efforts to make primary healthcare services more accessible and affordable for people living in NSW. The trial follows the successful urinary tract infection and oral contraceptive pill trials, which allowed authorised pharmacies and pharmacists to offer these services as part of usual business.
“We know how difficult it is to access a GP — there were fewer GPs in NSW in 2023 than there were in 2018 – that’s why we’re making it easier for people to gain access to simple treatments and the medications they need for non-complex conditions,” said Minister for Health Ryan Park.
“We’re doing this by empowering pharmacists to consult and provide medications — we’ve done this for urinary tract infections as well as the resupply of oral contraceptive pill. And soon, this initiative will expand to certain minor skin conditions.”
This article was created with the assistance of AI.
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