Minor ailments not always minor
Australian Medical Association (AMA) vice president, Dr Steve Hambleton, has said that calls by the self-medication industry for pharmacists to treat so-called ‘minor ailments’ such as coughs, colds, sore throats and back pain instead of doctors, could put people with these ailments at risk of more serious health problems.
Dr Hambleton said that minor ailments are not always minor.
“Respiratory tract infections and back pain are often precursors to more serious conditions and require proper diagnosis,” Dr Hambleton said.
“Doctors are skilled in diagnosis, pharmacists aren’t. The AMA supports people having greater education and awareness about their health and pursuing self management when it is safe to do so, but much of that education and awareness should come from their GP in the first instance.
“Making pharmacists the first point of contact for ailments, whether considered minor or not, is ill-advised,” he said.
“All medicines, whether they need a prescription or not, have side effects and need to be taken with caution. If something has an action, there is always a risk that it will also have a reaction.
“And the risk of adverse events increases when more than one medication, even off-the-shelf products, is taken at one time,” Dr Hambleton said.
Dr Hambleton also said that the AMA is currently lobbying the Government to extend Medicare support for general practice nurses to perform more work on behalf of GPs within general practice.
“Expanding the role of general practice nurses will help ensure that patients with minor ailments receive timely diagnosis and follow-up care, including education and awareness, in the general practice setting.
“This way, minor ailments will not become major ailments,” Dr Hambleton said.
