In a weekly update, Dr Danielle McMullen said the AMA's submission to the Pharmacy Board of Australia argues that the current prescribing proposal does not include enough safeguards to support safe, coordinated patient care.

Dr McMullen said improving access to healthcare is important, but reforms should not compromise the quality and safety of prescribing. She stressed that prescribing involves clinical assessment, diagnosis and ongoing patient management, with doctors and pharmacists playing complementary roles within a healthcare team.

The AMA also met with Mark Butler to discuss specialist fees, public hospital access, workforce shortages and the need for sustainable funding across the healthcare system.

The organisation continues to advocate for a national health workforce agency to improve workforce planning and help attract more doctors to rural and regional Australia.

The AMA also raised concerns about access to specialist care, saying the issue extends beyond consultation fees and is linked to workforce shortages, limited training capacity, public hospital pressures and Medicare funding that has not kept pace with rising healthcare costs.

The organisation said it will continue working with government and key stakeholders to support reforms that improve access to healthcare while protecting clinical independence and maintaining high standards of patient care.

AMA President Highlights Pharmacy Prescribing and Healthcare Reform Priorities

Source: Australian Medical Association (AMA), President's Update, July 2026.