Peak nursing bodies have hit back at warnings over abortion pill prescribing risks
Peak nursing and midwifery bodies have hit back at warnings that rolling back regulations restricting who can prescribe the abortion pill presents serious risks to women seeking terminations.
Peak nursing and midwifery bodies have hit back at warnings that rolling back regulations restricting who can prescribe the abortion pill presents serious risks to women seeking terminations, arguing it would be more dangerous for them to be blocked from exercising such powers.
National Association of Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists president Gino Pecoraro on Monday revealed concerns over the expansion of prescribing powers for MS-2 Step, saying it could lead to deaths in women who were given the pill by a nurse in a regional area and who experienced complications.
Australian College of Nursing chief executive Kylie Ward said Dr Pecoraro’s claims that women would be at risk if nurse practitioners prescribed the abortion pill were “insulting, patronising, and out of touch with reality”.
“Nurse practitioners are highly trained professionals who know their responsibilities in prescribing the abortion pill, provide ongoing care and management, and respond rapidly to any potential changes in wellbeing,” Professor Ward said.
“We are often the highest qualified health professional in many rural, regional, and remote communities where women constantly have healthcare needs … we are not ‘lesser trained practitioners’ as claimed by Dr Pecoraro.”
Concerns around the impact of expanding prescribing power, raised by the NASOG in The Australian on Monday, were backed by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which called for a guarantee that rigorous training would be provided to all practitioners handing out the medication.
The RANZCOG said while the decision from the Therapeutic Goods Administration removing regulations on some health practitioners so they could prescribe the medication was a “step in the right direction”, unwanted consequences needed to be taken into account.
“The college acknowledges that while rare, complications can occur, and ready access to hospital care may be required, and should be considered when prescribing MS-2 Step, particularly in rural and regional settings,” its president, Gillian Gibson, said.
“The college agrees with those calling for appropriate education, training and support for GPs and nurse practitioners empowered with prescribing MS-2 Step to ensure patient safety is not compromised. Removing these barriers to medical abortion is a positive step … for equitable access to women’s health, but the college now calls on the TGA to ensure adequate training and ongoing education for GPs and nurse practitioners.”
Peak nurse and midwife organisations said their members were already well placed to prescribe the medication, which can be taken up to nine weeks after conception.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation acting federal secretary Lori-Anne Sharp said the changes would allow registered nurses with at least 10 years’ clinical experience and masters level qualifications “to work the full scope of their practice”.
And Australian College of Midwives chief midwife Alison Weatherstone said the risks presented to women through restricting who could prescribe MS-2 Step outweighed the dangers of potential complications.