RACGP Raises Concerns Over Victorian Pharmacy Advertising Campaign
18 Nov 2025
Launched this month, the campaign promotes pharmacy access for treatments such as shingles, psoriasis, urinary tract infections (UTIs), contraception, and travel vaccinations without consulting a GP. Advert slogans include statements like “I need to get this UTI treated” or “This looks like shingles, I need treatment fast,” with the suggested solution being a pharmacy visit rather than a GP appointment.
The campaign is part of the state’s pharmacy prescribing program, offering free consultations for specific conditions. RACGP Victoria Chair Dr Anita Muñoz expressed serious concerns about the messaging.
“To suggest that schemes avoiding GP visits are inherently positive and government-endorsed is extremely problematic,” Dr Muñoz told newsGP.
She warned the program could fragment care, increase healthcare costs, and create potential conflicts of interest when pharmacists both prescribe and dispense medications. “Safe and effective use of medicines starts with an accurate diagnosis. Years of medical education and training cannot be replaced by protocols alone,” she said. “The best place for a patient with a medical condition is with their GP.”
Dr Muñoz supports a role for pharmacists in GP-led multidisciplinary care teams but stressed that retail settings are not appropriate for providing comprehensive, confidential, and continuous medical care.
In response, a Victorian Health Department spokesperson said the program has improved access for common conditions, delivering 58,000 services across the state. “While pharmacists can assist with specific conditions, patients are advised to see their doctor for overall health and serious concerns,” the spokesperson said. Pharmacists are also expected to share consultation information with the patient’s usual GP, and a national process led by the Pharmacy Board of Australia will address potential conflicts of interest.
The Victorian pilot, which began in October 2023, was extended until 30 June 2025 and later made permanent. Evaluation data show that 87% of patients would have visited a GP if the pilot were unavailable, and no serious safety concerns were reported. Some treatments, like 13% of UTIs, did not fully resolve.
Initially covering shingles, mild plaque psoriasis, uncomplicated UTIs, and contraceptive resupply, the program later expanded to include allergies, type 2 diabetes, asthma, ear infections, smoking cessation, and minor wound care. The Health Department has indicated further expansion may follow, with training provided for new services.
Dr Muñoz also questioned government funding priorities, noting that while general practice services at clinics such as Melbourne’s cohealth have faced cuts, $18 million has been allocated for pharmacy-based care.
Source: RACGP News
