Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) | Hansard source

The coalition is not going to insist on these amendments. But I would draw to the attention of the chamber the basis of the amendment, that was put forward by Senator Lambie, actually served to support two cohorts of people more particularly than others by endorsing podiatrists to be able to prescribe within their scope. It was to make sure that people who live in rural and regional areas, who often don't have access to a GP, and who have gone to their podiatrists are able to get access to the medications on the PBS that they need. And let's not forget, this is not about allowing podiatrists to prescribe. This is about podiatrists who already can prescribe being able to get access to medications on the PBS for their patients.

The other group of people who are most impacted by this are older Australians. We know that older Australians, more than younger Australians, rely on having their feet looked after. Australians who live with disability are also more likely to need the services of a podiatrist.

What we have here is the government refusing to accept an amendment that would allow people in rural and regional Australia, older Australians and people who live with a disability the ability for their prescribing podiatrist to actually let them get their medications on the PBS. The only options that now remain, because they're refusing to let this amendment go through, are these: they can either pay full tote odds for those medications or they've got to go and make a second appointment to visit a GP so they are able to get those medications on the PBS. This is an absolutely egregious decision by those in the other place not to allow this amendment to go through.

I absolutely commend Senator Lambie for putting the amendment forward. I also acknowledge the fact that the Greens supported this amendment. But we won't stand in the way of nurse prescribers being able to prescribe in the same way as I've just outlined for podiatrists. We obviously want to make sure that the people who are able to get their prescriptions by that mechanism are able to get it on the PBS.

The government needs to have a very close look at some of the pettiness of their decision-making, particularly when they have not even responded to the scope of practice review, which was handed to them nearly two years ago, that actually outlined why this was so important. But, as I said, we won't stand in the way of this because we believe nurse prescribers should be able to prescribe to make sure that more Australians are able to get access to cheaper medicines. This move by this government, to not accept this amendment, is actually making sure that medicines are more expensive—not cheaper medicines, more expensive medicines—than they would otherwise be able to get if you'd let this amendment go through.