The Tasmanian Liberal Government is delivering on our commitment to expand our successful community pharmacy program with extended prescriptions of the oral contraceptive pill to be available from 1 July 2024.
Minister for Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Guy Barnett, said the change will allow eligible women with a prescription to get a two-year supply of their pill with just one script, rather than just one year’s supply.
“This is another common-sense reform our Government has progressed to allow community pharmacies to deliver more services, helping to ease pressure on general practitioners and hospitals,” the Minister said.
“It means Tasmanian women can get a two-year supply of their pill with just one script, rather than just one year’s supply – freeing up GP appointments for Tasmanians with health concerns, and easing pressure on our health system as a whole.
“It will provide around 300 people per week with more convenient access to an extended supply of a much-needed medication.
“It’s more evidence of our commitment to deliver more accessible and appropriate treatment within the community, under our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future.
“The reform is in response to the independent Pharmacist Scope of Practice Review commissioned by our Government to provide a comprehensive and evidence-based assessment of the role of pharmacists in Tasmania.”
Liberal Member for Rosevears, Jo Palmer, said that this was a great outcome for Tasmanian women.
“By making this more convenient and more accessible we’re saving Tasmanian women time and money,” Minister Palmer said.
“It will allow for Tasmanian women to receive better healthcare and in turn produce better health outcomes, which benefits us all.”
To be eligible, patients must be aged between 16 and 50, be prescribed by a doctor, and be taking the same OCP consistently for two years.
The pharmacist cannot change the type of OCP prescribed and people will still need to see their GP every two years for assessment and re-prescribing.
