A Dean Winter Labor Government will support pharmacies to open for extended hours and provide Tasmanians with more options to access a greater range of medications, including vaccinations.
This will complement Labor’s 10 new TassieDoc clinics, ensuring that Tasmanians have greater access to essential healthcare services and medication - especially during evenings and on the weekend, when health care is often most needed.
Labor will:
- Increase access to healthcare in local pharmacies
- Encourage extended opening hours for local pharmacies
- Make vaccines more accessible in pharmacies
Why we need it
Pharmacists play a critical role in early advice and treatment of a range of health conditions, alongside GPs and other health professionals.
Pharmacists are highly trained health professionals who already play a vital role in reducing pressure on Tasmania’s over-burdened health system, especially in regional areas.
Allowing pharmacists to practice up to their full scope of practice will help Tasmanians to access the healthcare they need, when they need it, without the expense of a doctor’s visit or going to an Emergency Department.
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“Local pharmacies are often the first port of call for Tasmanians in need.” |
The details
A Dean Winter Labor Government will offer after hours pharmacy incentives to complement Labor’s 10 new TassieDoc clinics across the state that will be open late, and during the weekend.
Labor will expand pharmacists’ scope of practice to enable greater access to healthcare and medication management across the State. This important reform will see Tasmanian patients able to access more health services, closer to home from an appropriately trained community pharmacist, including everyday health conditions such as ear infections, reflux, skin conditions such as shingles and eczema, rhinitis and wound care.
In addition, Labor will look to harmonise vaccination regulations with other states and territories. Labor will adopt a model similar to South Australia for vaccine regulation, so more vaccines are available from appropriately trained pharmacists. This will increase the types of vaccinations conveniently available through community pharmacies, including travel and other vaccinations.
Further, Labor will implement a meningococcal B vaccination program for all infants and teenagers.
A Labor Government will also permit pharmacies to supply hormonal contraception to Tasmanian women and girls aged 16 and over.
A Dean Winter Labor Government will also look to reform regulations relating to prescriptions issued by interstate medical practitioners, to better allow Tasmanians who access health services interstate to have their scripts filled locally.
