Prescribing and medication-initiation roles based on the perspectives of rural healthcare providers in a study community in Queensland.

Conclusions. Rural communities have unique needs that require consideration of multidisciplinary support to assist medical practitioners in coping with prescription demands for timely medical treatment. What is known about the topic? Extension of prescribing rights to non-medical prescribers has been a topic of considerable debate in Australia for some decades. Several extended-prescribing or medication-initiation roles were established to supplement and support the medical workforce, particularly in rural areas, where health service inequalities and inefficiencies in prescribing and provision of medications are recognised. To date, workforce dynamics and legislative boundaries have restricted the eventual number of rurally located non-medical prescribers. What does this paper add? Little research has been conducted to investigate or evaluate the application of prescribing or medication-initiation roles in rural settings from a multidisciplinary approach. This paper provides the perspectives of rural healthcare providers on the prescribing and medication-initiation roles across health professions. Key findings from this rural-engagement exercise are considered valuable for policymakers and health service planners in optimisation of the prescribing or medication-initiation models. The qualitative methods also added richness and depth to the discussion about these roles. What are the implications for practitioners? According to the literature review and other media, extended pr...
Source: Australian Health Review - Category: Hospital Management Authors: Tags: Aust Health Rev Source Type: research