Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025

Senator STEELE-JOHN (Western Australia) (10:11): I move the second reading amendment standing in my name: At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate: (a) notes that: (i) podiatrists and podiatric surgeons are the only professions in Australia who can gain endorsement to prescribe medicines but are not able to access PBS benefits for those prescriptions, (ii) Australians are paying out of pocket for non-PBS subsidised medicines or taking an extra trip to the GP to get around this barrier, and (iii) allowing endorsed podiatrists and podiatric surgeons to access PBS benefits when prescribing medicines would save patients money in the short term and would achieve budget savings by reducing avoidable hospitalisations; and (b) calls on the Government to, as soon as practicable, allow endorsed podiatrists and podiatric surgeons to access PBS benefits when prescribing medicines".

The PRESIDENT: The question is the second reading amendment as moved by Senator Steele-John be agreed to.