Nursing groups are already bidding for PBS subsidies after health ministers decided to let RNs prescribe S4 and S8 drugs, starting this year.

In an election wish list, the nurses also want RNs to order mammograms, X-rays and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans and midwives to order non-invasive prenatal testing, pelvic ultrasound and iron studies.

All federal, state and territory health ministers agreed in December to let RNs apply for an “endorsement for scheduled medicines”, allowing them to prescribe according to a written agreement with a doctor or nurse practitioner.

Prescribing RNs would need postgraduate training plus a six-month clinical mentorship program, with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia preparing to release more details this month.