‘A step forward for equity’; PSA welcomes women’s health pilot

13 March 2026

 

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) has welcomed today’s announcement of a national women’s health pilot, which will improve access to contraception and treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs).

 

As announced this morning by the Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Mark Butler MP, women between the ages of 18-55 will be able to access these medicines for the same price as they would cost on prescription under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) when prescribed by a trained pharmacist.

 

Announced at the Australasian Pharmacy Professional (APP) Conference, as part of the 8th Community Pharmacy Agreement (8CPA), the 12-month pilot program will commence in January 2027.

 

PSA’s National President, Professor Mark Naunton MPS, said today’s announcement, part of the 8CPA between the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Commonwealth, will help ensure pharmacist care is more available to those who need it most:

 

“This is a step forward for equity. Pharmacists across Australia have been prescribing antibiotics for the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections for some time, and pharmacists have reported to us that for some consumers, cost is a real barrier to accessing this service,” he said.

 

“This program will mean that more women can access the health services they need, when they need them most.”

 

Prof Naunton said PSA would work with the government to continue removing barriers to women’s health services, including advocacy to standardise variation between jurisdictions that unnecessarily complicate and lead to inconsistency in service delivery between states and territories:

 

“We currently have eight different protocols for pharmacist prescribing for uncomplicated UTIs in place across the country, as well as several different protocols for prescribing of hormonal contraception.

 

“This pilot will provide an opportunity to remove this duplication and inefficiency through adopting a nationwide approach.

 

“We will continue to impress the need for better standardisation of the treatment guidelines, which could be achieved by adopting the uncomplicated UTI treatment guidelines in the Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary and Handbook, for example.”

 

PSA will continue to provide support for pharmacists through professional support, including practice advice and support via the member-exclusive Pharmacist-to-Pharmacist advice line.

 

 

Media contact: Leah Jacobsen 

M: 0480 099 798 E: leah.jacobsen@psa.org.au 

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia is the only national peak body that represents all of Australia’s pharmacists across all practice settings. We want every Australian to have access to the best healthcare, and this must include optimising access to pharmacists’ knowledge and medicines expertise at the forefront of our healthcare system.