2 NEWS
2 NEWS
31 OCTOBER 2025 ausdoc. com. au
188 complaints linked to comments on Gaza war
Ciara Seccombe AHPRA has received 188 complaints related to the Gaza conflict, including health practitioners sharing news stories on social media, says the watchdog’ s CEO.
Justin Untersteiner told a Senate estimates committee this month that AHPRA now had a unit dedicated to complaints related to the two-year-long war.
“ We look to expedite those matters to ensure they are taken seriously,” he said.
“ We have special training for our employees to make sure they are ready to handle those sorts of matters, and where we need to, we are making referrals through to the tribunal for action.”
Of the 188 complaints about 95 health practitioners, roughly half were anti-Semitism related and half were Islamophobia related, he said.
Many complaints were about social media posts, including just sharing news articles.
“ In many of those cases, we would not see those as a case where we need to take particular action.
“ Of course, there have been more serious matters than that.”
AHPRA revealed just two complaints had triggered a tribunal referral— both of them related to social media.
However, AHPRA staff told senators they could not discuss the details of these cases in the committee hearing.
NSW Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg asked about sanctions against a pair of nurses from Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital, in Sydney, who were suspended under emergency powers earlier this year.
AHPRA CEO Justin Untersteiner.
In a widely publicised incident, the nurses had said to an Israeli social media influencer via a video chat app that they were killing Israeli patients— comments one of them later called a joke gone wrong.
Mr Untersteiner said he could not discuss individual cases.
However, he said he was confident that AHPRA was dealing with complaints related to the Gaza war effectively and“ taking absolute action where we need to”.
“ I feel confident that any Australian can get safe healthcare and not worry about discrimination because we are dealing with it,” he added.
Pharmacy prescribing endorsement looms
Antony Scholefield THE Pharmacy Board of Australia is developing a national standard for pharmacists to prescribe S4 and S8 drugs following a request by the country’ s health ministers.
Since Queensland began its controversial pharmacy prescribing program in 2024, states and territories have granted pharmacists with extra training a mishmash of powers to diagnose and treat medical conditions.
The pharmacy board has said it is working on a pharmacist prescribing credential that will be recognised nationally.
Under the plan, pharmacists who complete a board-approved training course will receive an‘ endorsement for scheduled medicines’, listed on the AHPRA register, saying they are trained to prescribe S4 and S8 drugs.
However, state and territory laws will still dictate which medicines pharmacists can prescribe and for what conditions.
The board said the move would
‘ It will lead to healthier communities.’
“ standardise the qualifications required by pharmacists who prescribe” and allow them to easily move between state prescribing regimes.
“ Establishing an endorsement has been requested by health ministers and is the next stage in the board’ s extensive work since 2018 to explore pharmacist prescribing arrangements that ensure public safety.”
It said it would run a public consultation before sending the proposed endorsement for health ministers to approve.
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia said it looked forward to the endorsement to“ enable better planning, mobility and clarity for practitioners”.
“ With appropriate training and governance, pharmacist prescribing will mean more patients able to access convenient, local care for everyday health conditions, reducing pressure on GPs and EDs,” said guild president Professor Trent Twomey.
“ Ultimately, it will lead to healthier communities.”
.
Cornerstone Health is uniquely placed to ensure GPs in our network can take advantage of both bulk billing incentives from 1 November 2025 onwards. This means GPs will earn significantly more with the tripling of the bulk billing incentive plus half of the additional 12.5 % practice incentive payment on all eligible services.
Our purpose is simple: to increase access to quality healthcare for all. We know access and quality go hand in hand, which is why having the right services onsite matter too, including nurses and a fully-equipped treatment room, and bulk billed pathology and radiology.
More incentives. More opportunities to reach people who need access to quality healthcare. Talk to us about GP opportunities in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Phone 0499 021 775 or visit cornerstonehealth. com. au / bulk-billing
Our Medical Locations: NSW Crows Nest, Dee Why, Gregory Hills, Kellyville, Marsden Park, Penrith. QLD Annerley, Ashmore, Gold Coast, Loganholme, Morayfield, North Lakes. VIC Caroline Springs, Cranbourne, Williams Landing.