The Pharmacy Guild of Australia has expressed concerns about plans for a nurse-led general practice clinic operating out of a Tuggeranong pharmacy, warning it is a step towards the ''Americanisation'' of our health system.The Canberra Times revealed yesterday the ACT Government had approved five nurse practitioner positions for Revive Clinic to operate a nurse-led clinic out of a pharmacy as part of a joint venture that already operates seven such clinics interstate.

The guild, which represents pharmacy owners, warned that such models operated in the United States, known as ''minute clinics'', only because of the country's inferior health system.

''We don't think they're ideally suited to the Australian health-care model - it's part of the Americanisation of our health system, which we resist,'' guild spokesman Greg Turnbull said yesterday.

''Nurse practitioners in the US system are given some prescribing rights because in the United States medicine is either prescription only or you can buy it in a gas station.

''Here we have scheduling model so pharmacies can sell either schedule two, pharmacy only, or schedule three, pharmacist only, medication. That's what makes an Australian pharmacy an actual health-care hub rather than elaborate convenience store,'' he said.

Mr Turnbull said the guild opposed the nurse-led general practice clinic model as it charged patients for many services that pharmacists now provided for free.

Revive Clinics charged $65 for a standard consultation which was not covered by Medicare.

For more on this story, see today's Canberra Times.