Pharmacists are pushing for broader powers to prescribe medications, which they say will take pressure off GPs and the federal budget.
And it could save patients from having to book a doctor's appointment every time they want to pick up a script for medications ranging from chronic health conditions to mental health and travel health.
Trials across the states and territories already allow chemists to prescribe medicines for hormonal contraception, urinary tract infections and skin conditions, among others.
For Gail Colley, being able to get chronic health prescriptions straight from her local chemist will help her cut down the number of GP visits she needs to make each month.
"My husband's 90, I'm 80 and so having to just go down the road is just brilliant," the Gold Coast local told AAP.
With Australia facing a worsening GP shortage, the measure frees up appointments for other patients too.
Expanding pharmacist prescribing to asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hormonal contraception, and cardiovascular risk reduction could save the health system $1 billion a year, a report released by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia on Tuesday found.
It could also free up more than 10 million GP appointments and prevent 30,000 hospitalisations annually, modelling by health economics consultancy HTANALYSTS showed.
"This modelling shows that empowering specially trained pharmacists to prescribe for appropriate conditions isn't just good for patients - it's good for the entire health system," Pharmacy Guild president Trent Twomey said.
He called on federal and state governments to create a nationally consistent regulatory framework to embed pharmacy prescribing beyond the current patchwork and to integrate chemists with existing health record systems used by GPs to avoid creating information silos.
Pharmacists should also be able to bill consultations through Medicare, as nurse practitioners were already able to do, Professor Twomey said.
For as long as the Pharmacy Guild has been pushing for expanded prescribing powers, it has faced pushback from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RCGP), who argue pharmacists don't have the same high-quality skills as a GP.
"Another glossy report from the Pharmacy Guild doesn't change the fact that there is insufficient high‑quality, long‑term clinical evidence to support pharmacist prescribing for conditions like asthma, COPD or hormonal contraception outside a GP-led model of care," an RACGP spokesperson said.
"These are not simple, one‑off conditions; they require careful diagnosis, ongoing monitoring and a deep understanding of a patient's full medical history. That's exactly what specialist GPs are trained to provide."
The Pharmacy Guild report estimated Australia faced a shortage of 8600 GPs by 2048.
But pharmacists were also in short supply, with data from Jobs and Skills Australia showing retail pharmacists were already in shortage across every state, the RACGP said.
In March, the federal government announced it would undertake a 12-month trial from January 2027, allowing pharmacists to prescribe contraceptives and treatments for uncomplicated UTIs to concession card holders.
"This will make a real difference for women who need fast treatment without unnecessary cost or delay," a spokesperson for Health Minister Mark Butler said.
