Adjunct Associate Professor Leanne Boase .

Rachel Fieldhouse RESTRICTIONS on nurse practitioners

initiating PBS medicines should be scrapped with few exceptions , the PBAC has recommended .

For nurse practitioners with PBS prescribing rights , most items are restricted as ‘ Continuing Therapy Only ’, but the PBAC decided that the restrictions should be scrapped .

However , it said there was a small group of PBS items that nurse practitioners should only be allowed to initiate under a shared

care arrangement with a doctor .

“ The PBAC considered the conditions being treated by this subset of medicines are complex and management of these conditions is likely to require specialist medical practitioner oversight ,” the committee said .

It did not identify the specific medicines but added : “ The PBAC recognised that nurse practitioners managing these conditions may already be working in collaboration with a medical practitioner and / or

specialist and that allowing nurse practitioners to initiate treatment under shared care arrangements may provide greater accessibility to treatment and more efficient healthcare delivery .”

Finally , for PBS medicines already restricted to non-GP specialist initiation , the PBAC recommended that nurse practitioners remain banned from initiating them under reworded PBS criteria .

The Australian College of Nurse Practitioners said the changes

would not significantly affect clinical practice , only funding and administration .

“ If we are the first to write the script , we just do a private script ,” said its CEO , Adjunct Associate Professor Leanne Boase .

The PBAC also recommended expanding nurse practitioner PBS items to include treatments for MS and familial and non-familial heterozygous hypercholesterolaemia , when prescribed in consultation with a specialist physician .

Rachel Fieldhouse A DOCTOR ’ S post of him performing his own vasectomy has become an Instagram hit . Plastic surgeon Dr Chen Wei-Nong says he decided to undergo the procedure as a “ gift to his wife ”.

“ Oh , I am very nervous ,” he says on his post shortly after outlining to viewers the 11 steps involved .

Stressing the risks of taking a similar DIY approach , he adds : “ Please consult a qualified urologist to be safe .”

Dr Wei-Nong , who is based in Taiwan , was assisted by a team of three doctors , including his wife , who works as a surgeon .

“ It is really painful when you touch the vas deferens ,” he says during the procedure , noting it is “ less tender ” at the distal end and a little more “ intense ” at the proximal end .

“ Stitching myself really feels weird ,” he adds later .

The day after the procedure , which took an hour rather than the typical 15 minutes , Dr Wei-Nong said he experienced some pain and discomfort but dubbed it a success overall .

In the video caption , he wrote : “ A very special experience ; there will be no next time .”

Following criticism from some viewers , the Taipei Department of Health confirmed there were no legal issues because Dr Wei-Nong is a surgeon .

It did not refer to the involvement of his wife in the procedure .

Dr Chen Wei-Nong .