Avant urges pause on expanding pharmacist prescribing
22 Oct 2026
Avant’s analysis, described as the first of its kind in Australia, examined claims and complaints recorded between 2020 and 2025. The review covered around 16,000 claims, with one in six involving medicines. Prescribing was identified as the main issue in nearly 90% of those medication-related cases.
Opioids accounted for more than one-third of all prescribing-related claims examined in the report. Psychotropic medicines were the most common Schedule 4 medicines linked to claims, while patients with psychiatric conditions featured in almost 30% of cases.
Avant also called for Schedule 8 medicines to remain excluded from any expansion of prescribing powers.
The organisation’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Steve Robson, said prescribing requires clinical experience and careful judgement. He warned that mistakes can have serious consequences and described prescribing as one of the riskiest activities in healthcare from a medico-legal perspective.
The call comes amid moves by several Australian states to broaden the range of medicines pharmacists can prescribe. Victoria recently announced plans to allow pharmacists to resupply menopausal hormone therapy, while New South Wales has moved to broaden its pharmacy prescribing program.
Avant welcomed an agreement reached by federal, state and territory health ministers in September to develop a national decision-making framework. However, it argued that expanding prescribing powers before this framework is established could undermine efforts to achieve consistent standards across the country.
The organisation also referred to a Sax Institute review commissioned by the RACGP and conducted by the University of Sydney. Avant said the review found that existing evidence was too limited to draw reliable conclusions about clinical effectiveness, safety and health system impacts.
According to Avant, international evidence provides more support for pharmacist prescribing that is integrated with other healthcare services than for independent prescribing in standalone retail settings.
Professor Robson also raised concerns about the challenges insurers face when assessing the risks of pharmacy prescribing, particularly given the limited experience outside government trials.
Another key finding in Avant’s report concerned decisions to refuse, reduce or stop medicines. The analysis found that although these decisions frequently led to claims, practitioners were almost always found to have met the required standard of care.
Avant said safe prescribing sometimes means declining to provide a medicine. It warned that potential conflicts of interest could arise when prescribers or their businesses also benefit from dispensing the medicines prescribed.
Professor Robson questioned whether new prescribers would always have access to the investigations, detailed patient histories, physical examinations and medical records needed to make informed decisions.
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright supported the concerns raised in the report. He said prescribing involves understanding both medicines and individual patient needs, alongside appropriate safeguards and continuity of care.
Dr Wright called for greater collaboration between GPs and pharmacists rather than the introduction of prescribing models without sufficient evidence or consistent oversight. He also warned that the rapid rollout of pharmacy prescribing programs could increase fragmentation and costs while creating risks for patients.
However, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) President Professor Mark Naunton opposed Avant’s proposed moratorium.
He said the PSA supported a nationally consistent framework covering standards, education, governance and regulation to promote safe pharmacist prescribing.
Professor Naunton also pointed to countries including Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, where pharmacists with additional qualifications can prescribe for certain conditions.
He warned that pausing further expansion could limit access to timely healthcare, particularly for people living in rural, regional and remote communities. The PSA's position is that pharmacist prescribing should continue to develop under strong clinical governance, with patient safety remaining the priority.
Avant urges pause on expanding pharmacist prescribing
Source: newsGP — reporting on Avant’s prescribing risk analysis and responses from the RACGP and Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.