Women will be able to access contraceptive medication from more Queensland pharmacies after the government introduced a new training program.
A standalone training program will be offered to the state's pharmacists to learn about prescribing contraception safely and appropriately so women no longer have to visit the doctor for a script.
"This move will break down barriers that women face to access contraception, particularly in regional and rural areas," Health Minister Shannon Fentiman told parliament on Thursday.
Ms Fentiman acknowledged it can be difficult to get a GP appointment and can be costly when simply trying to get a script for contraceptive medication.
More than 83 per cent of women in Australia will use the contraceptive pill in their lives.
"It just makes sense to make the process as easy and cost-effective as possible," Ms Fentiman said.
Pharmacists could prescribe to women 16 and older the contraceptive pill, the hormonal injection, and the hormonal contraceptive vaginal ring if they undertake the training program.
The new training program is in addition to a pilot program introduced last year to train pharmacists to prescribe a range of drugs to make accessibility easier for Queenslanders.
Some of the conditions they could prescribe for are shingles, acne, nausea and vomiting, type two diabetes, asthma, and contraceptive medication.
Around 350 pharmacists and 136 pharmacies across the state have expressed interest in the pilot program which began this month.
But this standalone training program for contraception has been introduced to encourage an uptick in the number of pharmacists who can provide the medication.
It will be available from July this year.
“Appropriately trained pharmacists can do more to support the healthcare needs of Queenslanders, including improving access to safe and effective hormonal contraceptives," Pharmaceutical Society of Australia's Queensland president Shane MacDonald said on Thursday.
