Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Mackellar for those remarks and also her engagement on this bill and other bills—particularly in the health portfolio, given her background. She raises some issues that are being ventilated in the Senate committee inquiry in relation to this bill, which is still underway; the committee hasn't yet reported. I reiterate what I said in response to the member for Mallee's amendments—that this change, that's been endorsed by the board and will be the subject of enabling legislation at state and territory level, has been the subject of nine years of work, with patient safety right at the core of that work.

I'm glad to hear the member for Mackellar's comments around the national medicines record that I announced last week. 'Prescriber shopping', which was the term the member for Mackellar used, has become much more of a challenge in a telehealth environment. Some tragic cases, one in particular, led to the government making that announcement last week to ensure all prescribers—because that was a question of the number of doctors prescribing—have access to and actually use the records. As I said in response to the member for Mallee's amendments, we've made the announcement. There will now be a process of consultation to design the national medicines record, and we will obviously take account of any change to the prescribing population as we go forward.

The other comments, though, that the member for Mackellar makes about the submissions that the college and the AMA have made to the Senate committee, we will take into consideration if this bill passes the House and then moves to the other place after the committee has reported. I want to emphasise again that both doctors' groups were heavily involved in that consultation. Indeed, both of them have pointed to that consultation as being a very high standard compared to another consultation that is under way right now that they're not as happy about.

But I also want to say the prescribing rights of this population of registered nurses, who will have to have done additional training and receive the endorsement of the board, is proceeding. Whether or not this bill passes the parliament, that is proceeding. The board has made that decision. State and territory governments have made the decision that they will amend their legislation.

The bill before the House now determines whether or not a patient who has a prescription made by an eligible nurse is able to access the PBS, and the member for Mackellar well understands that. This really is an affordability question before the House and then after it the other place, so we will not be supporting the member for Mackellar's amendments in this place. Her comments obviously come from a very good place and from a very rich background as a medical practitioner. We will listen to the submissions that are made by the AMA, the college and other groups that are participating in the Senate committee inquiry. But, as presently advised, we'll be opposing the amendments.

Bill agreed to.

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