RACGP Warns Against Unsupported Pharmacy Nurses, Australia

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Also Included In: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 29 Jan 2010 - 11:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has joined the ACT Division of General Practice ( ACTDGP), the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the Pharmacy Guild in opposing the establishment of stand alone nurse practitioners working from pharmacies in the ACT.

The organisations are calling on the ACT Assembly to put the ACT Health Chief Executive's approval of five stand alone nurse practitioners positions on hold until the community is assured that such positions will do no harm.

RACGP NSW and ACT Faculty Chair Dr Elizabeth Marles said it was concerning that there has been no consultation with the general practice community or the GPs in the local area prior to these positions being approved.

"As GPs we build trust by offering whole person, continuing, comprehensive and coordinated care. Nurses, nurse practitioners, dieticians, social workers, pharmacists, psychologists and physiotherapists are all vitally needed to support the delivery of a basket of services and to address unmet needs as we move from a hospital based to a community based system. They are not a substitute for GPs. Our patients want a continuing relationship with a doctor they trust, and they need a doctor to act as an advocate to help them get the best care within our fragmented health care system," said Dr Marles.

The RACGP President Dr Chris Mitchell said that the RACGP strongly supports a strengthening role for nurses in general practice, including an expanded role for nurse practitioners working in general practice teams, enhancing the range and quality of care provided to patients in general practice.

"However, the RACGP does not support the concept of an independent nurse practitioner working in parallel rather than as part of general practice teams. No health professional should be working in isolation; all should be part of a team or network with appropriate supervision and clinical governance. Employing nurses to deliver independent primary health care services will fragment care, may reduce patient safety, increase 'silos', and undermine the patient-doctor relationship.

"GPs are at the forefront of primary care and are in an ideal position to see what works in our health system and what doesn't. Without collaboration and consultation, patient care and the health care system as a whole are put at risk," he said.

Dr Mitchell said patient care must remain the number one priority.

Source
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

• Additional
• References
• Citations