Minister must urgently clarify regulations for collaborative care

Dr Pesce said that claims in the media by some groups, especially Revive Clinics, that their models of care are eligible for access to Medicare and the PBS are throwing the new arrangements into disarray and confusion.

Revive Clinics are mostly located in pharmacies and are staffed by independent nurse practitioners, not doctors.

The Revive Clinics website is today carrying this message - Medicare rebates available on Revive Clinic services from 1st November 2010.

“The AMA supports collaborative arrangements where a doctor is in a position to provide advice and medical support when required for patients being seen by nurse practitioners,” Dr Pesce said.

“We also believe this arrangement must be agreed and formalised before a patient is seen by a nurse practitioner.

“This is in keeping with the spirit and intent of the legislation.  It is the best model of care for patients.

“We do not support contrived arrangements that may involve correspondence with a ‘remote’ or ‘distant’ doctor who signs off on a written protocol but who cannot provide advice and direct medical support when required.

“While we recognise that special arrangements with doctors will be necessary for some nurse practitioners working in remote locations, these must be exceptions, not the norm.

“We call on the Minister to urgently clarify the types of collaborative care arrangements that the Government intended would attract Medicare rebates.

“This is essential to provide certainty and confidence to the doctors and nurses who are committed to genuine collaborative care arrangements that will provide comprehensive quality care for their patients,” Dr Pesce said.

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11 November 2010

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