From February 2027, eligible women will be able to consult a pharmacist at a participating community pharmacy for treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) or hormonal contraception, with no out-of-pocket consultation fee.

If the pharmacist prescribes a medicine, it will cost no more than A$25 per prescription.

Health Minister Mark Butler has promoted the initiative, which will be trialled for 12 months, as a win for women’s health.

But what’s actually changing? And does the evidence support expanded roles for pharmacists?

What can pharmacists already prescribe for women’s health?

Queensland introduced pharmacist-initiated treatment of uncomplicated UTIs in 2020. Similar schemes now operate in every Australian state and territory.

But rules around patient eligibility, medicines prescribed and training requirements vary.

Read more: Now you can get UTI antibiotics from pharmacies without prescription. Here’s what to know

Since 2023, some of these schemes have extended to hormonal contraception. Some states only allow repeat prescriptions (resupply). Others allow pharmacists to initiate a prescription.

Currently, pharmacist prescribing consultation fees vary across Australia. Some state governments subsidise this cost. Elsewhere, patients might pay more out of pocket for both the consultation (talking to the pharmacist) and the medication itself.

The new federal initiative aims to address these differences by covering consultation fees at participating pharmacies. It also caps the costs of certain medicines – such as the pill – at rates equivalent to a Pharmaceutical........

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