Pharmacies to offer treatment for certain conditions in SA

South Australians will soon have the option to seek treatment for certain medical conditions at pharmacies instead of going to the GP thanks to a new university course.

From next year, pharmacy students who are at the end of their degrees will be able to opt into an extra 12 months of study, allowing them to treat more medical conditions, such as acne, ear infections and shingles, with the state government subsidising the cost.

"For people in the metro area, that's $7000, for regional it's $8500," Health Minister Chris Picton said.

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Existing pharmacists also have the opportunity to undertake the upskilling.

In other states where the measure has been trialled, the cost of an appointment can start at $35 – significantly less than a GP visit – but prices will vary depending on the pharmacy.

"What we have seen in the trial … is that it's been more accessible, it's been cheaper and it's been able to be delivered safely," Picton said.

"We expect that the same will happen here, too."

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While the move is expected to ease pressure on the health system, and provide patients with cheaper and more readily available treatment, it has been met with some scepticism, with the Australian Medical Association worried patients might instead avoid seeing a GP.

"It takes 12 years to train a specialist GP, and a whole series of studies and medical assessments that's a lot longer than 12 months," AMA SA president Associate Professor Peter Subramaniam said.

This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.