Approved pharmacists in NSW with suitable facilities and appropriate training can provide management of uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) to eligible patients.
On this page
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Who is eligible for treatment?
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Pharmacist requirements
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Cost of service
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Creating and maintaining your service listing on healthdirect
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NSW Pharmacy trial outcomes
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More information
Who is eligible for treatment?
Specific eligibility criteria are in place to ensure patients receive safe and appropriate care.
For treatment of UTIs, patients must be:
- female*,
- aged between 18 to 65 years (inclusive), and
- displaying symptoms consistent with an uncomplicated UTI, such as dysuria, urinary frequency, urinary urgency and/or suprapubic pain or discomfort.
If a patient does not meet the eligibility criteria to receive the service by a pharmacist, you must refer them to appropriate alternative care, such as their usual GP. Where GP referral or follow-up is required but the patient does not have a regular GP or that GP is unavailable (within an appropriate timeframe), contact healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for advice on patient disposition.
*The term ‘female’ is used to include all people presumed female at birth.
Pharmacist requirements
To provide this service, pharmacists and pharmacies must meet the requirements of and operate in accordance with:
It is important that you read through these documents thoroughly to ensure compliance.
Key requirements for pharmacists and pharmacies include:
- Sharing a record of supply with the patient’s usual treating medical practitioner or medical practice, where the patient has one, following consent by the patient. This must be shared within a week (7 days) following the consultation.
- Appropriate private areas available to conduct consultations, as outlined in the class
Authority
- Maintaining secure digital records of all consultations and their outcomes. Records must be stored securely for a minimum of seven (7) years.
- Maintaining up-to-date service listings via the
National Health Services Directory
- Completing and maintaining mandatory training**, being:
Pharmacists carrying out UTI consultations must do so in accordance with the flow chart of criteria and actions provided in the
NSW pharmacist practice standards for the management of uncomplicated UTI.
**See Authority for additional training pathways accepted for Queensland-trained pharmacists.
Cost of service
Pharmacists can charge a consultation fee for patients seeking treatment for UTI. This is at the discretion of the pharmacy.
This consultation fee will be in addition to the cost of any medicines supplied.
Creating and maintaining your service listing on healthdirect
Pharmacies who provide the service are responsible for maintaining their own up-to-date service listings via the
National Health Services Directory (NHSD). It is a requirement of the class Authority that you list your service on the NHSD.
First, check the
healthdirect Service Finder to see if your pharmacy has already been listed with the NHSD.
If you have an existing listing, you can update this by clicking ‘suggest and edit’ and completing the
service update form as required. Please select ‘Service offerings (pharmacies only)’ on the form to update any offerings available at your pharmacy.
If you do not have an existing listing, please follow the prompts on the healthdirect website to
register an organisation, and nominate your intended service offerings.
For further information about updating your Healthdirect Service Finder listing, please contact the NHSD at
nhsd@healthdirect.org.au.
NSW Pharmacy trial outcomes
The UTI treatment component of the NSW Pharmacy trial ran from 15 May 2023 to 31 May 2024. Over 17,000 consultations occurred during the trial period.
NSW Health monitored the outcomes of treatment and care provided to people with UTIs during the clinical trial.
Preliminary data from the clinical trial is showing evidence on safety outcomes for trained pharmacists, following a clinical protocol, to provide treatment for uncomplicated UTIs. An independent evaluation, utilising a more comprehensive dataset and analysis of UTI trial data, will be conducted. A final report for NSW Ministry of Health will be completed in 2025. This information will be used to inform future service delivery models.
More information
Pharmacists should reach out to their member organisations in the first instance for further advice and support regarding UTI service provision.
For questions specifically relating to the research trial, please email the trial leads at
NSWPharmacyTrial@newcastle.edu.au.
For general information, pharmacists should contact NSW Health at
moh-pharmaceuticalservices@health.nsw.gov.au
Pharmacies may promote the service offering using their own developed materials in accordance with relevant guidelines. Refer to
Advertising health services | Therapeutic Goods Administration.
