The Australian Medical Association (AMA) expressed concerns over the Queensland state’s pilot program which would allow chemists in 37 local areas to diagnose 23 conditions, including asthma, type 2 diabetes and heart failure, without consulting a GP. Medical experts from all over the country expressed anguish that this could potentially harm patients’ lives and that pharmacists are not qualified to treat complex diseases without medical supervision. However, health minister Yvette D’Ath pointed out that pharmacists would have to undertake training before they could be part of the trial, which would take upto a year for some.