More pharmaceutical prescriptions for maternity patients throughout the state of Victoria will now be possible for midwives to write.
With effect from today, Victoria Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas announced a significant expansion in the range of medications that midwives are permitted to dispense.
With three years of professional experience, endorsed midwives will now be able to prescribe painkillers, anaesthetics, and abortion drugs to patients throughout the state thanks to ministerial approval.
Authorised midwives are qualified to administer Schedule 2, 3, 4, and 8 medications, which include over-the-counter medications, local anaesthetics, antibiotics, and strong analgesics.
They also need to have completed graduate coursework and training and have at least three years of experience in full-time clinical practice.
The former Liberal National Government implemented the preceding list of drugs in 2012.
According to Thomas, this was a significant shift that acknowledged the dedication and expertise of Victoria’s midwifery workforce.
She said it was crucial, especially for Victorians living in rural areas who have to travel far for services like abortions.
“In making these changes, endorsed midwives are able to prescribe the drugs that are needed for medical abortion,” she stated.
“It expands the choices available for women in regional Victoria who struggle to access timely abortion care.”
According to Nicole Allen, Maternity Services Officer at the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, midwives will now be able to provide antibiotics for infections, painkillers for childbirth, and drugs for nursing mothers.
