GPs oppose ACT's proposal to extend pharmacists' power

General Practitioners Aotearoa says ACT's proposal to expand pharmacists power is a red flag for a failing health system.

Last week, ACT pledged to let pharmacists treat more conditions, and make it easier to open new pharmacies if elected.

The proposal would also see pharmacists manage stable long-term conditions, cut red tape stopping new pharmacies from opening, and introduce 24-hour prescription collection through "secure electronic lockers".

The party said the change would ease pressure on GPs by getting pharmacists to treat more everyday conditions, have them manage long-term medication and conduct skin checks.

The policy also sought to expand the Minor Ailments Scheme already implemented in government to include more conditions that pharmacists were trained and assessed to treat.

GP Practitioners chair Dr Buzz Burrell said outsourcing was a costly and temporary solution to the problem of overworked GP clinics.

"ACT isn't innovating, they are recklessly setting up a shadow system instead of supporting the existing one to do its job."

He said up to $100 million per year had been earmarked for the scheme - which he believed should instead be put into general practice.

Burrell said continued underfunding of primary healthcare meant that pharmacies, too, would soon be over capacity.

The scheme would allow pharmacists to treat things like head lice, scabies, and oral rehydration, with the hope to extend to chest infections, ear infections, skin infections and acute pain.

Burrell said many of the ailments ACT had proposed for pharmacist treatment could mask more serious issues.

"Skipping the GP is a dangerous gamble with patient safety," Burrell said. "You can easily miss that critical window to catch a catastrophic illness before it's too late."