Proposed expansion of Urinary Tract Infection Pharmacy Pilot – Queensland without proper evaluation of patient outcomes

Eligibility - Queensland citizens
Principal Petitioner:
James Lake
352 Jeffrey Road
KURANDA QLD 4881
Total Signatures - 1,278
Sponsoring Member: The Clerk of the Parliament
Posting Date: 22/2/2022
Closing Date: 30/4/2022
Tabled Date: 10/5/2022
Responded By: Hon Yvette D'Ath MP on 9/6/2022
TO: The Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland

Queensland citizens draws to the attention of the House the recently revealed plan to expanded the current Urinary Tract Infection Pharmacy Pilot - Queensland (UTIPP-Q) to permit Pharmacists to diagnose a broad range of health conditions and prescribe and dispense medications predicated on such diagnosis.

The two year pilot program commenced in June 2020.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to:

1. Instigate a full and transparent evaluation of the UTIPP-Q including but not limited to:

a. number / percentage of GP presentations that occurred following pharmacist consultation for unresolved symptoms.
b. number / percentage of ED presentations that occurred following pharmacist consultation for unresolved symptoms.
c. the number / percentage of patients for whom the pharmacist declined to make a formal diagnosis and referred  the patient to a GP, Emergency Department or other health care facility.
d. number of patients provided treatment for a UTI that were subsequently discovered to have been misdiagnosed.
e. the average cost to the patient of the consultation and treatment provided by the pharmacists and a comparative analysis of the costs associated with a GP presentation.
f. the average income generated by the pharmacists in relation to each patient presentation.
g. the number of patients who presented on more than one occasion to a pharmacist for the same episode.

2. Make public the evaluation of the UTIPP-Q.

3. Call for submissions from all stakeholders prior to any continuation or expansion of the UTIPP-Q program.