Women suffering from urinary tract infections will be able to continue getting treatment through pharmacies, after a trial in NSW.

Any NSW pharmacy with suitable facilities and training for staff will be able to give consultations and prescriptions for UTI medications from June 1, allowing women to avoid a trip to the doctor.

More than 16,000 women got treatment during the one-year trial and Pharmacy Guild NSW president David Heffernan labelled the initiative “a win for women, doctors, pharmacists and patients”.

“There’s a whole list of things where people fall through the cracks,” he told ABC radio this morning.

“Being able to access a health professional at your convenience and get the condition addressed properly – as it should be – is a great thing.

“Ultimately, it’s a win for the women of NSW.”

Women between 18 and 65 are eligible for pharmacy treatment if their symptoms are consistent with an uncomplicated UTI.

The NSW government paid $20 per consultation during the trial, but pharmacies will now be able to set their own fees on top of medication cost under the ongoing program.

AAP