Warning lights flashing across NSW health system
September 9, 2026
Premier, pharmacy prescribing is not healthcare reform
September 21, 2026
MEDIA STATEMENT FROM AMA (NSW) PRESIDENT DR FRED BETROS
Today’s announcement on expanded scope for pharmacists is another slap in the face for general practitioners who are highly trained and skilled in diagnosing and caring for their patients.
Patients deserve access to safe and comprehensive medical-led care.
This decision may expose patients to an increased risk of harm. This amounts to fragmenting care, weakening general practice and increasing pressure on antimicrobial stewardship at the worst possible time.
The evaluation of the last trial does not support going further. More than nine in 10 urinary tract infection episodes resulted in antibiotics being supplied, while only 7.3 per cent were referred to a GP or emergency department.
Australia already has the highest total volume of antibiotics prescribed for systemic use among OECD countries, at 27.6 defined daily doses per 1,000 people per day.
Treating ear infections and wounds, acute vomiting and high blood pressure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are not extensions of dispensing. They can all be masking much more serious conditions.
An earache in a child is common, but it is not always an ear infection, and most do not need antibiotics. A wound that will not heal can be the first sign of diabetes or vascular disease.
Vomiting is not a diagnosis. It is a symptom, and it sits in front of appendicitis, bowel obstruction, diabetic ketoacidosis, meningitis, ectopic pregnancy and heart attack. An anti-emetic treats none of those. It settles the vomiting while the cause keeps going. The patient feels better, goes home, and the appendix can burst.
A GP does more than issue a script. They know the patient, their history and their medications. That continuity of care is central to safe medicine.
Patients need the right care, in the right place, with proper diagnosis, follow-up and continuity. If the NSW Health Minister genuinely wants to take pressure off general practice, he should be in Canberra making the case for it. Fund general practice properly and the queue he is trying to solve starts to disappear.
Media: P: 0419 402 955 E: media@amansw.com.au