Smoke causing surge in pharmacy and ambo callouts

It comes as patients report difficulties obtaining some preventive asthma medications across Canberra.

General practitioners have also seen a spike in patients, but Canberra Health Services says there has been no significant increase in respiratory patients at Canberra Hospital.

Pharmacy Guild of Australia ACT branch president and local pharmacist Simon Blacker said pharmacists had been facing unprecedented demand.

"I've been a community pharmacist for 24 years and I've never seen anything like it in terms of the level of queries we've had," he said.

"We've had a surge in requests for medications both available over-the-counter or prescription."

Mr Blacker said most people were needing advice about breathing difficulties, sore throats and irritated eyes.

Families have also been worried about children and the effectiveness of P2 masks, as the available masks only fit people 12 years and older.

Mr Blacker said Canberra pharmacists had seen a surge in people from the South Coast needing prescription medication who did not have access to their scripts.

He called on the ACT government to allow Canberra pharmacists to dispense drugs without a prescription for people who were affected by bushfires - a move the Victorian and NSW government have made.

ACT Emergency Services Agency said paramedics were responding to an increased number of breathing difficulty cases.

"This would be expected considering the current unprecedented conditions," a spokeswoman said.

"Many of these patients are able to be treated at home and do not necessarily require transport to hospital. Some require reassurance, advice to attend their GP and sometimes on-site treatment by the paramedics."

Canberrans have reported difficulties accessing some preventative asthma medication like Flixotide and Seretide. Ventolin remains well stocked.

Mr Blacker said there appeared to be a minor shortage of some preventative medications.

He said the stock problems were not major, but some patients had attempted to stock up on preventive medications, a practice which should be avoided to avoid major stock issues.

The ACT Health Directorate spokeswoman said it was working closely with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia to monitor the demands on medication stock in the ACT at this time.

"We understand there has been additional demand for asthma prevention medication, but at this time there is no problem with supply of these medications in the ACT," she said.

Asthma Australia CEO Michele Goldman said the long periods of smoke haze were taking a major toll.

"Even people with mild asthma are experiencing symptoms, people who may not have had symptoms in years," she said.

"Over a prolonged period we know people are feeling helpless, frightened and concerned and are looking for any means at their disposal to avoid exposure to the smoke."

She welcomed the ACT government's recent move to share hourly air quality levels, instead of just rolling 24 hour averages.