All pharmacists who provide the following services in NSW must have received condition-specific training to ensure they can manage your condition in accordance with best clinical practice. These services have been tested for safety and efficacy through the NSW Pharmacy Trial.
Specific eligibility criteria are in place for each condition to ensure patients receive safe and appropriate care. If you are not able to access pharmacist care for your condition because you are not eligible, your pharmacist can advise you on what next steps you should take.
Your pharmacist will ask you a number of questions to determine if you are eligible for care under this program, to understand your condition, and to provide you with accurate advice. Your pharmacist should always seek your informed medical and financial consent before a consultation commences.
To access this service you must be:
The pharmacist will ask you additional questions during the consult to check if they can provide you with treatment. If you receive care at the pharmacy, your pharmacist will notify your doctor.
Current Therapeutic Guidelines suggest that uncomplicated UTIs (in adult females* younger than 65) can often be successfully managed without antibiotics, with symptoms resolving within one week. Your pharmacist should discuss this option with you during the consultation.
If you do not meet the eligibility criteria to receive the service by a pharmacist, your pharmacist will refer you to appropriate alternative care, such as your GP.
For information on UTIs, including symptoms, read the healthdirect factsheet on urinary tract infections.
*the term ‘female’ is used to include all people presumed female at birth.
For more information about the service, see: Frequently asked questions: Pharmacist management of uncomplicated UTIs.
To receive hormonal contraception resupply services at a pharmacy, you must:
The pharmacist will ask questions during the consult to check if they can provide you with treatment. If you receive a resupply of the oral contraceptive pill at the pharmacy, your pharmacist will seek your consent to notify your doctor.
If you do not meet the eligibility criteria your pharmacist will refer you to appropriate alternative care, such as your GP.
*Patients aged 40 – 49 years (inclusive) can only receive a limited supply of their oral contraceptive pill, and will be referred to their GP for follow-up. This is because there are additional risks associated with hormonal contraception use in this age group.
For more information about the service, see: Frequently asked questions: Pharmacist hormonal contraception resupply.
You may be eligible to have your skin condition treated by a participating pharmacy, if you have:
*If you are aged 65 years and older, you may receive treatment from your pharmacist, but they will also refer you to a doctor for follow-up.
For more information about the service, see: Frequently asked questions: Pharmacist management of minor skin conditions.
Pharmacies delivering these services are required to maintain an up-to-date listing on the healthdirect Service Finder.
To find a pharmacist who can assist you with your condition, select Pharmacy from the ‘Search by service’ drop down menu, then enter your suburb or postcode, and click search.
This will provide you with a list of local pharmacies. When you click on each pharmacy, you can see a list of Offerings (if they are providing these services).
You can also choose to search by health services. The expanded scope services on the healthdirect Service Finder are referred to as:
Always call ahead before you visit your pharmacy for a consultation, or use their online booking tool if they have one.
Pharmacists can charge a consultation fee for providing these services – this is at the discretion of the pharmacy. In many cases, having taken the time to discuss options with you, no medicine may be prescribed or issued (in accordance with clinical management guidelines on the most effective and safe way to treat your condition).
Prescription medicines are not subsidised when supplied by a pharmacist without a prescription. This means that when a prescription medicine is needed, the cost will be the same as a private prescription, with the price determined by the pharmacy and paid for by the patient.
Check with your pharmacist about the cost of consultation and medicines before you agree to receive the service.
If you, or someone in your family needs support in your language, tell the pharmacist you need an interpreter. You can also contact the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) National on 131 450. This service is free and confidential.
