Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025
Senator DOLEGA (Tasmania) (19:13): I rise in support of the Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025. This bill introduces a practical reform to improve the efficiency of our health system and ensure Australians can access timely health care. This bill amends the National Health Act and the Health Insurance Act to enable nurse practitioners to prescribe certain medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and this will in effect help Australians get the care and medicines they need when they need them.
Strengthening Medicare has been a key priority of the Albanese government since we came into office in 2022. When we did, it had never been harder or more expensive to see a doctor. Bulk billing was in decline, and too many Australians were putting off seeking care because of cost.
That shouldn't happen in a country like Australia, so we've acted. We've made the largest investment in Medicare in its 40-year history. We've tripled the bulk-billing incentive.
We've expanded the Medicare urgent care clinics to take pressure off hospitals and provide walk-in care for urgent but non-life threatening conditions. In Tasmania, this includes eight urgent care clinics, which are already making a real difference for families. These services are giving people confidence that they can get seven-days-a-week bulk-billed care close to home.
They are easing pressure on the hospital emergency departments in Burnie, Launceston and Devonport, and we've got five around Hobart. They're ensuring that local healthcare workers can deliver care in the right settings at the right time. Investments have also been made in general practice, headspaces, aged care, women's health and mental health support, and primary care infrastructure alongside direct investment in the GP workforce, but we know there is more to do.
This bill builds on that work in a practical and tangible way. It acts on the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce and the Unleashing the potential of our health workforce review, which identified that highly trained nurses are often restricted from practising to their full potential due to outdated regulatory frameworks. This bill changes that.
It allows appropriately trained and endorsed registered nurses to prescribe certain medicines under the PBS. This means patients can get prescriptions more easily, more quickly and often at a lower cost. This is about using the skills of our healthcare workers more efficiently.
Our nurses are highly trained, highly skilled and trusted professionals. They are often the first point of contact for patients, especially in regional community settings. For too long, outdated rules have limited what they can do.
This reform changes that. It will empower nurses to work within their full scope of practice while maintaining the high-safety standards that Australians expect. Only nurses who meet the Nursing and Midwifery Board's requirements will be able to prescribe, and the medicines list will continue to be independently reviewed to ensure patient safety.
Oversight arrangements are also being strengthened to protect the integrity of the system. This is a careful evidence based reform that improves access without compromising quality. It will also take pressure off other parts of the system.
By allowing nurses to manage straightforward cases, we can reduce unnecessary appointments and free up our GPS to focus on more complex care. This will mean shorter wait times, more efficient services and better outcomes for patients. We know this matters, especially in rural and regional communities like Tasmania, where access to health care can be more challenging and travel distances can be greater.
These changes will help people get care closer to home without unnecessary delays. This bill is part of a broader effort to modernise our health system and build a stronger, more connected model of care. The future of primary care is team based.
It brings together doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, each playing their role. This reform supports that approach. It doesn't replace doctors; it supports them.
It also complements our work to make medicines more affordable. Whether it's reducing PBS costs, listing new treatments or investing in women's health, we are focused on easing the cost-of-living pressures and improving access. Millions of Australians are already benefiting from cheaper medicines and better services, and this bill builds on that progress.
More broadly, we're investing in the workforce that underpins the entire system. We are training more doctors, we are supporting nurses, and we are supporting primary care. The Albanese Labor government is allocating $14.5 million to provide 306 additional GP training places in 2026 through the Australian General Practice Training Program.
This initiative will increase the total number of doctors commencing GP training to approximately 2,100, representing a 14 per cent rise compared to 2025. Continued government support has resulted in a greater number of doctors in the Australian health system over the past three years than at any point in the previous decade. We know that a strong health system depends on people, skilled supported health professionals delivering care every day.
This bill is about making the system work better for patients. It's about removing barriers, improving access and making care that is delivered in the right place at the right time by the right professional. I'm proud to be part of a government that is committed to strengthening Medicare and ensuring that no Australian is left behind because of the cost of care.
This bill is sensible, it's practical and it will make a real difference, and I commend the bill to the Senate.