Community Pharmacy Roadmap Program Development Template
Program/Service
First Aid and Wound Management
Quadrant
B – Pharmacy Medicines and Health Products – Services and Programs
1. Program/Service Description
a) Background
Most community pharmacies have traditionally sold first aid supplies, as well as providing
consumers with supporting advice and information. Increasingly, with demand on primary
health care and emergency services at near-full capacity, consumers are relying on their
community pharmacy to assist in managing their wounds. Depending on the severity of the
wound, this may involve a triage and assessment by another health professional. However,
pharmacy staff are often the first point of health care intervention for people who require first
aid or wound care.
b) Brief Description
There is the opportunity to develop standardised, enhanced first aid and wound management
services from community pharmacies, including standardised protocols for treatment and
referral on to other health care providers. This process would enable patients to take a greater
role in their own health management and care. As it stands, a range of first aid and wound
management products are available through most community pharmacies in Australia, with
pharmacists and pharmacy staff playing an important role in providing advice to consumers
about these products. Some pharmacies also engage a nurse to provide first aid and wound
management services. However, these types of services tend to be developed at a local level to
deal with an unmet demand, rather than as a standardised program that could be implemented
more broadly which also incorporates protocols on when to refer to other health professionals
or other health services.
c) Alignment with
Utilising the expertise and accessibility of community pharmacists as part of the health
Government Policy support team, along with more efficient and cost-effective use of available health professionals
are changes consistent with recommendations from the National Health and Hospitals
Reform Commission1 and Primary Health Care Strategy2, promoting team care support. Both
of these health reform reports also recommended supporting and facilitating patient selfmanagement as one of the fundamental elements.
d) Expected
Outcomes for
Government and
Community
Pharmacy
Utilising the skills of community pharmacists to provide enhanced first aid and wound
management services would free up the availability of other highly skilled health professionals
to perform health interventions requiring other/specialised skills. This would provide the
Government with a more efficient use of the health workforce, particularly in areas where
health services may be limited, such as regional and remote areas.
From a pharmacy perspective, there will be a greater recognition of the role of community
pharmacists as a member of the primary health care team. Community pharmacy will have the
opportunity to develop a viable business involving service provision as an adjunct to product
supply. It would also contribute to better utilisation of the increased number of new pharmacy
graduates in a manner that benefits both pharmacy practice and the community. This expands
the scope of community pharmacy, increasing its attractiveness as a career option for
pharmacy graduates and supporting the viability of pharmacy education providers.
e) Consumer Benefits The availability of enhanced first aid and wound management services through community
pharmacy would provide consumers with greater access to services, professional support and
advice. Consumers will also benefit from efficiencies gained through the enhancement of
triage services, by ensuring timely referral to other relevant members of the health care team
as required.
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2
NHHRC: A healthier future for all Australians – Final Report June 2009
Primary Health Care reform in Australia – Report to Support Australia’s First National Primary Health Care Strategy; 2009;
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With the vast array of first aid and wound care products available, consumers have access to
health personnel who can advise on the most suitable and cost-effective products to meet
their needs. This can be particularly important for patients referred from health care centres to
purchase particular products. Hospitals and health care centres typically deal with particular
brands of products that may not be as readily available in the community. Community
pharmacy staff members are able to assist consumers with identifying equivalent products.
f)
Who Performs the
Service?
g) Collaboration with
Other Health Care
Professionals



Pharmacists
Pharmacy assistants
Other health professionals – nurses may be engaged by a community pharmacy
depending on the service provided.
Will service delivery require any formal collaboration with other health care professionals?
Yes.
Community pharmacy can provide a triage and ongoing monitoring service for patients.
Patients can be supported to manage the treatment of minor wounds, while more serious
conditions can be referred to the GP, other health professionals, or hospital. The community
pharmacist can then monitor the patient’s response and similarly refer the patient back to their
GP if required for conditions that are not responding.
2. Implementation and Enablers
a) Stakeholder
Consultation
Representative bodies from the following areas will need to be consulted in order to fully develop and implement
a program:
 Consumer organisations
 First Aid and Wound Care suppliers
 Funders
 Government and regulatory bodies
 GP organisations
 Nursing bodies
 Pharmacy organisations
 Pharmacy software vendors
 Professional insurers
 Training bodies
b) IT Requirements
Is pharmacy software required to deliver this program?
Pharmacy software should, ideally, have an integrated recording system for service
consultation. With the development of e-Health records, there is the opportunity for
consumers’ use of therapeutic products and services to be recorded for access by other health
professionals as required. Documentation and claiming software needs to be available for
programs that support subsidised services, and it is essential that systems are streamlined for
ease of use and to maximise pharmacy workflow.
c) Infrastructure
and Staffing
Is a private consultation area required to deliver this program?
To be determined.
The professional services area of community pharmacies should include first aid and wound
care supplies, as well as conventional medicine supplies. Depending on the nature of first aid
or wound management services that may be available through community pharmacy, those
requiring an in-depth consultation with/ treatment from a practitioner will require the
availability of a private consultation area.
Is the program within the pharmacist’s/pharmacy assistant’s normal scope of practice?
The provision of first aid and wound care supplies through community pharmacy is within the
current scope of practice of pharmacy staff. As the level of intervention develops, further
training may be required, or other trained health personnel may be engaged.
Is an additional pharmacist likely to be needed?
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To be determined.
Should any professional first aid or wound management service be developed that requires an
extended pharmacist consultation, consideration needs to be given to staffing resources. There
may be a need for another pharmacist to manage other professional activities within the
pharmacy at the time of consultation, such as dispensing or the supply of Pharmacist Only
Medicines.
d) Training
What additional formal training is likely?
Undergraduate pharmacists should be trained to a level where they can confidently provide
support services upon registration.
Refresher training should also be available for registered pharmacists to ensure services remain
aligned with current clinical guidelines.
If a pharmacy assistant has any significant role apart from program administration,
appropriate training would need to be determined and provided in an appropriate format.
Does any suitable training exist?
Yes- subject to revision.
There is training available for both under-graduate and registered pharmacists and for
pharmacy assistants from pharmacy schools and pharmacy organisations such as the Guild
and Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA). In addition first aid institutions and
manufacturers provide some training that may be suitable. Available training modules should
be reviewed and revised as specific community pharmacy professional services evolve.
e) Supporting
Standards,
Procedures and
Templates/
Checklists
Will a QCPP standard be required?
Yes.
Strict adherence by pharmacists to professional protocols set out in an auditable standard
should ensure the public receives a standardised, quality-assured professional support service.
Generic standards for professional support services are available as part of QCPP 2nd edition.
As services are developed, the need for supporting templates and procedures can be assessed
and where not available, the development of new ones should be part of the program
structure.
Will professional guidelines and/or standards be required?
Yes.
Will a service protocol be required?
To be determined.
Depending on the service intervention developed, some form of service protocol may be
required that is complemented by the QCPP and professional standards.
Are there any national guidelines which need to be taken into account in developing the program to ensure
consistency with best practice?
To be determined.
f)
Legislation/
Regulation
Implications
Depending on the interventions included in the service, as the service is developed, it will be
necessary to ensure that all elements are aligned with relevant legislation.
3. Funding
Funding Options
Possible funding options include:
 Community Pharmacy Agreement
 Alternative Commonwealth Program (e.g. Preventative Health, DVA).
 State/Territory Government
 User-pays (Review GST implications )
 Health Insurers
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Has any funding for this program been secured?
No.
4. Timelines
Timelines
√ Established community pharmacy practice – for product supply
√ Immediate to short-term implementation (< 30 June 2015) – for enhanced services
□ Medium-term implementation(1 July 2015 to 30 June 2020)
□ Longer-term implementation (> 1 July 2020 )
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