Australia's first nurse-led walk-in centre opened at 7am this morning in Canberra.
Health minister Katy Gallagher announced an amendment to ACT medicines legislation that will now allow the nurse practitioners to prescribe controlled medicines.
She said the amendments would extend the scope of practice for nurses in the ACT and bring the territory into line with other states.
"This amendment to the Medicines Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation 2008 will enable suitably qualified nurse practitioners to provide their patients with a wider range of treatment options,'' Ms Gallagher said.
She said nurse practitioners would be required to comply with all legislation to the same extent as doctors and dentists.
"While the use of controlled medicines such as morphine and oxycodone is strictly regulated by legislation, it makes good sense for a nurse practitioner qualified and working in the field of palliative care to be able to prescribe morphine to a patient to relieve their pain.''
For more on this story see the print edition of tomorrow's Canberra Times.
Source: The Canberra Times
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