Medical professionals have criticised the Victorian government’s new election promise to permit pharmacists in the Australian state to prescribe antibiotics and refill prescriptions due to the risks of increasing antibiotic resistance and misdiagnoses.
In a recent re-election pitch, Premier Daniel Andrews announced that the Labor government would spend $19 million (US$12.8 million) on a 12-month pilot project that grants local pharmacists the ability to treat minor health conditions if it won the election.
However, Australian Medical Association (AMA) Vice President Dr. Danielle McMullen said the plan was a “slap in the face” to general practitioners, adding that she did not support any program boosting drug prescription practice due to the threat of antibiotic resistance to patients’ health….