Pharmacy Full Scope About the program

About the program

The Queensland Full Scope of Pharmacy Practice Pilot, developed through a partnership between the Queensland Government, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, and key industry stakeholders, is set to explore the expansion of pharmacists' roles in primary health care. This innovative pilot aims to enhance the delivery of preventative care, medication management, and prescribing by pharmacists for a spectrum of acute, common, chronic conditions, and health and wellbeing services, specifically targeting the improvement of primary health care accessibility in Queensland communities.

The pilot encompasses a comprehensive training program for participating pharmacists, who will be equipped to diagnose and treat conditions outlined in the pilot's clinical practice guidelines. The program includes:

  • Training Component 1*: A rigorous Safe Prescribing Education course, aligned with the NPS Medicinewise Prescribing Competencies Framework, featuring 120 hours of experiential learning.
  • Training Component 2: Two specialized clinical training courses focused on health assessment, clinical examination techniques, and the diagnosis and management of selected conditions, incorporating safe prescribing practices learned in Training Component 1.

Before beginning the pilot, pharmacists must also complete:

  • Pharmacist immunisation training.
  • The Urinary Tract Infection Pharmacy Pilot – Queensland (UTIPP-Q) training module.

James Cook University (JCU) is proud to offer both training components, designed to reflect the Queensland Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot, clinical guidelines, and in consultation with industry stakeholders.

*The Safe Prescribing Education subject (Training Component 1) is currently under review for accreditation by the Australian Pharmacy Council.  The program is seeking, but has not yet been granted, accreditation from the Australian Pharmacy Council. Once accreditation has been granted, the program will be submitted to Queensland Health for approval as an approved training program for the pilot.