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‘ Removing barriers ’
Australian nurses refute claims around prescribing the abortion pill
By Arshmah Jamal
Peak nursing and midwifery bodies have countered warnings around regulations restricting who can prescribe the abortion pill in Australia . In Australia the drugs used in these pills are mifespristone and misoprostol , sold as MS-2 Step medication .
National Association Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists president Dr Gino Pecoraro recently told the media that allowing nurses to prescribe these would see “ lesser trained practitioners ” administering the medication .
“ You can ’ t just start something like this because you have to have all the infrastructure in place to deal with all the complications ,” Dr Pecoraro told The Australian .
From August 1 , restrictions around the pill were lifted nationwide , with all doctors and nurse practitioners now allowed to prescribe the pill . Pharmacies will also not need “ special certification ” to dispense it .
4 | nursingreview . com . au
Australian College of Nursing chief Kylie Ward said Dr Pecoraro ’ s comments are “ insulting , patronising , and out of touch with reality ”.
“ We are not ‘ lesser trained practitioners ’ as claimed by Dr Pecoraro ,” Ms Ward said .
“ Nurse practitioners are highly trained professionals who know their responsibilities in prescribing , providing , and responding .”
“ We are often the highestqualified health professional in many rural , regional , and remote communities where women constantly have healthcare needs .”
Children by Choice estimated that half of pregnancies in Australia are unplanned , and half of those are terminated .
The association also predicted between a quarter and a third of Australian women will have an abortion in their lifetime .
Peak nursing and midwifery associations said their members were already well-equipped to prescribe the medication .
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation ’ s acting federal secretary Lori-Anne Sharp said the reform would allow nurse practitioners to work to their full scope of practice .
“ Nurses and midwives often have direct experience of the enablers and barriers to universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare
“ Allowing highly qualified nurse practitioners to prescribe the pill will go a long way in removing some barriers that exist for women , particularly in rural and remote areas ,” Ms Sharp told Nursing Review .
“ Nurses and midwives provide care across all reproductive healthcare services and , as female-dominated professions , often have direct experience of the enablers and barriers to universal access to sexual and reproductive health services .”
Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union secretary Kate Veach said the reform was necessary and acknowledged further investments in education and training would be made . ■