Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025
Senator WALKER (South Australia) (13:27): Australians don't spend much time thinking about who's allowed to prescribe a medicine; they think about whether they can get an appointment, whether they have to drive two hours to see a doctor, whether Mum can get the medication she needs before the weekend or whether Dad can leave hospital without another delay. That's what the Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025 is about.
It's about making our health system work better for the people who rely on it every single day. For too many Australians, particularly those living in regional, rural and remote communities, getting timely health care isn't as simple as booking an appointment down the road. Sometimes there isn't a GP down the road.
Sometimes the nearest clinic is hours away. And sometimes your local nurse is the health professional you know, you trust and you see most regularly. If that nurse has the qualifications, the training and the appropriate endorsement, why should patients have to jump through another hoop just to access a medicine they're already taking?
This bill recognises that common sense. It allows suitably qualified registered nurses to prescribe certain medications under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, helping patients get the care they need sooner without compromising safety. This bill isn't about replacing doctors or lowering standards; it's about making better use of the incredible workforce we already have.
Anyone who has spent time in a hospital, an aged-care home, an Aboriginal community controlled health organisation or a regional health clinic knows just how much nurses already do. They're often the first person a patient sees, the last person they see before going home and the one constant throughout their care. They know their patients.
They know their communities. They are the backbone of the healthcare industry. And they know when something isn't quite right.
This reform simply recognises the expertise they already bring to our health system. For someone in a country town, it could mean getting treatment without waiting days for the next available GP appointment. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Sterle ): Order!
Sorry, Senator Walker. It being 1.30 pm, we shall now move to two-minute statements.