RURAL Generalists (RG) will now be formally recognised as a specialist medical field within general practice in the Australian healthcare system, following an announcement by the Minister for Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, on the weekend.
General practitioners with an approved Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of GPs or Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine will be able to apply for the specialist RG registration.
The recognition is a positive development for rural healthcare and has the potential to benefit rural pharmacy as well, according to the Rural and Isolated Pharmacists Association of Australia (RIPAA).
“By providing a clearer and more attractive career pathway, the RG specialty may encourage more doctors to commit to rural practice, helping to address longstanding medical workforce shortages in these communities,” said a spokesperson for RIPAA.
“For rural pharmacists, an increase in full-time rural doctors – including rural generalists – could enhance collaboration and integration of care, allowing pharmacists to work more closely with medical practitioners to optimise patient outcomes.”
However, RIPAA warned that it is critical to continue developing the pharmacy workforce and innovating roles such as rural pharmacist practitioners with expanded clinical and prescribing responsibilities, to complement medical services and ensure comprehensive healthcare access.
“Ultimately, the growth of the RG specialty is a welcome step that, combined with advancements in rural pharmacy, can strengthen healthcare delivery in rural and remote communities,” they concluded.
RGs undergo a year of additional training in emergency medicine and a selection of disciplines needed in rural communities and hospitals, such as child health, mental health, palliative care, surgery and obstetrics.
The RACGP will now work with the Australian Medical Council to determine a process where RG Fellowship qualifications can be accredited.
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