The Viability of Full Scope Practice: A Data-Driven Transformation

Why Full Scope Matters

In a fast-paced world, patients are looking for quicker, more accessible care. Importantly, full scope practice pushes pharmacy out front in the health eco-system in terms of speed and access given its ability to provide clinical consultations, manage chronic conditions, and catch serious health issues earlier than might otherwise be possible. Fully leveraging specialist skills is turning pharmacies into true health hubs.

Let’s look at some of the immediate outcomes we are seeing in client pharmacies.

The Tangible Impact: Clinical, Operational, and Financial Wins

Clinical

Impact

Pharmacist-led consultations have led to:

• Improved chronic disease management (e.g., asthma, diabetes, hypertension).

• Reduced emergency department visits.

• Enhanced vaccination rates.

In a recent example Jess Burrey described a quit smoking consult where a patient mentioned dizziness. The pharmacist undertook a quick check assessing erratic heart rate and abnormal blood pressure with irregular heart sounds. The patient was referred immediately and subsequently diagnosed with arrhythmia. That’s life-changing care, delivered right in the pharmacy.

Financial Performance: Real-World Data

The numbers are impressive. Pharmacies implementing full scope services are reporting gross service income per square metre between $14,250 and $21,093., far surpassing industry average retail sales per sqm which is below $8,000 per sqm.

Clearly, consult rooms pull their weight deliver results to patients and pharmacy owners.

In Queensland, the fee for a long consultation is $70.50, with pharmacies also generating additional sales ranging from $70 to $200 per patient.

That’s not just service income—it’s providing the patient with the right health solution driven by meaningful conversations.

Service Income per Square Metre:

As a result, pharmacies implementing full scope services outperform traditional retail benchmarks:

Services Retail

Financial outcomes per consultation based on the patient’s health outcome being the focus:

Conversations Drive Conversions

In a specific example, take a contraception consult: the pharmacist recommended products linked to the patient’s needs—skincare, supplements etc. Total sale? $253.95. Or an acne consult that led to $191.95 in product sales. These aren’t upsells—they’re purposeful recommendations that patients value and result from Pharmacist engagement.

In another meaningful example, a shingles consult resulted in a total sale of $117.08 including antiviral medication and supplements. These examples occur every day across many conditions but not at all pharmacies.

Operational Efficiency/productivity – staff engagement, doing the right tasks

Interns and assistants are game-changers. They handle intake, eligibility checks, and consent forms, freeing pharmacists to focus on clinical care. Structured workflows and internal messaging systems streamline operations and enhance patient rapport. Every touchpoint reinforces a culture of care.

Challenges to Address

Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing. Booking systems need upgrades, access to PBS income can be limited, and governance is crucial for staff and patient safety. In a single-pharmacist environment, workflow innovation and patient education are key. Setting expectations around the time required, the process and outcomes are crucial. We know that patients are willing to pay for care—pharmacy is starting to properly unlock the value it can provide to the patient in the health eco-system.

Conclusion: A Profitable, PatientCentric Future

Full scope practice is not just viable, it’s transformative. It enhances patient outcomes, drives revenue, and redefines the role of community pharmacy. With average net sales per patient exceeding $150 and service income outperforming retail benchmarks, the data speaks for itself. Full scope practice is viable, valuable, and vital. It boosts patient outcomes, drives revenue, and redefines our role in healthcare.

At Pitcher Partners we understand that transformation is not easy or straight-forward. It often requires a change in culture and processes with physical changes to a pharmacy’s layout. To explore the transformation process in detail we interviewed a client on our podcast who has already worked through many of these changes.

Norman Thurecht

Managing Partner

p +61 7 3222 8444

e nthurecht@pitcherpartners.com.au

Mark Nicholson Partner

p +61 7 3222 8444

e mnicholson@pitcherpartners.com.au

Felicity Crimston Partner

p +61 7 3222 8444

e fcrimston@pitcherpartners.com.au

Robert Hughes

Partner

p +61 7 3222 8444

e rhughes@pitcherpartners.com.au

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