Page 26 - Tropic Magazine Issue 35

TROPIC • HEALTH

Workforce

prescription

DOCTORS
A larger pool of potential
recruits has opened up to
address the region’s shortage of
general practitioners.

Words: Renee Cluff
Surrounding areas, including
Cairns medical clinics can now Atherton, Mareeba, Babinda, PHARMACIST TRIAL
recruit foreign-trained doctors and Port Douglas, Mossman and Innisfail A trial allowing pharmacists to prescribe
bonded university graduates after are already DPAs. more medicines is scheduled to begin
being identified as a priority area for While the classification has been in June. Queensland pharmacists can
GP recruits. The federal government welcomed by the health industry, there already prescribe antibiotics for urinary
classification – which followed a joint are now calls for the Government to fund tract infections and under the state
application by three local clinics – medical student places in the region. government trial, some would be allowed
means university graduates whose “We still really want to get the locally to prescribe for 23 conditions, including
studies were supported by a trained GPs here,” said the Northern hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
Commonwealth Supported Place can Queensland Primary Health Network Canada, New Zealand and the UK already
choose Cairns to fulfill their obligation Chair, Nick Loukas. have similar programs, however the plan
to work in a Distribution Priority Area “More Commonwealth supported places has been criticised by the AMA and Royal
(DPA). Overseas trained doctors also fall for Years 1-3 for James Cook University Australian College of GPs.
into the larger pool of potential recruits. (JCU) in Cairns is super important.”

Perfect for a hot

summers day.

Scoo Brew Kombucha is a 100% all
natural, fresh kombucha handcrafted
in Cairns, flavoured with 100% real fruit,
no essences, oils, concentrates,
extracts, added sugar, preservatives or
stevia, just the way nature intended.

Sc Brew loves ya guts!

scoobrew.com.au

26 • Tropic • Issue 35