Those in the community who are ill or old or both are at higher risk of contracting coronavirus. With the authorities tightening the rules on leaving home as the virus spreads, access to medications for those most vulnerable, who prefer to stay at home, must be taken into consideration when it comes to treatment for other issues.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has welcomed the government acting on their calls to relax the laws to allow GPs to send electronic prescriptions.
The Australian Government Department of Health has announced new interim arrangements for prescriptions to support telehealth services.
Under the arrangements, patients can get a prescription from their GP directly sent to their pharmacy of choice via email or phone and their medication can be delivered to their door.
RACGP President Dr Harry Nespolon welcomed the move as a breakthrough for GPs to continue providing quality care to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘This is a vital part of the puzzle to enable GPs to continue providing the same quality care to their patients via telehealth as they do face-to-face.
‘It means patients with a variety of health conditions can get a prescription from their GP sent to their pharmacy of choice and the medicine can be delivered.
‘This breakthrough that the RACGP argued strongly for will enable GPs to better support their patients during this pandemic and help to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in our community as people can access medical care and any medication they may need without needing to leave their home.’
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