Federal Budget sets the stage for election commitments on rural healthcare
While the 2025–26 Federal Budget, released Tuesday, delivers some welcome investments in healthcare, ACRRM is urging all political parties to step up and prioritise rural, remote, and First Nations healthcare in their election platforms.
ACRRM President Dr Rod Martin says tonight’s Budget contained no surprises, reinforcing the need for a clear commitment from all sides of politics on how they will ensure funding reaches the communities that need it most.
Rural medical peaks concerned for patients health outcomes out of pharmacist prescribing
Two leading organisations advocating for rural and remote doctors and communities have combined to callout the Queensland Government’s decision to make pharmacist prescribing for some conditions standard practice.
The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and Rural Doctors Association of Queensland (RDAQ) are concerned about the impacts on patient health outcomes and access to healthcare.
Queensland Minister for Health and Ambulance Services The Hon Tim Nicholls MP announced on Friday that prescribing for acute conditions, wellbeing, and hormonal contraception services, which have been trialled through the Queensland Community Pharmacy Pilots, will become business as usual from 1 July.
Registration is now OPEN for RMA25 at Crown Perth, 22-25 October 2025!
Be among the first to secure your place at Australia's premier rural medicine event. Join us in beautiful Boorloo (Perth) for three action-packed days of learning and networking.
Why attend?
Sharpen your rural medicine skills with engaging sessions that make learning enjoyable
Connect with Australia's rural medicine stars—practitioners who know how to treat anything, anywhere
Learn innovative techniques from doctors who have mastered medicine where resources aren't just a phone call away
Build relationships that matter at our social events—where conversations are as refreshing as the drinks
Toast to the impressive achievements of rural healthcare colleagues making a difference every day
Early bird discounts are available until June 30, 2025, with exclusive pricing for ACRRM and RDAA members!
ACRRM is undertaking a thorough review of the College Constitution to ensure that ACRRM remains relevant, sustainable, and equipped to support our members and staff.
The review has been overseen by the Constitution Review Working Group, made up of ACRRM Board and Council members, and supported by the College’s legal advisors, Russell Kennedy.
Mandatory reporting changes to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) from 1 March 2025
From 1 March 2025, it will be mandatory for all vaccination providers to report to the AIR information about whether an individual was pregnant at the time of vaccine administration.
Maternal immunisation is vital in protecting pregnant women and their babies from serious illness and severe complications from vaccine preventable diseases.
The collection of antenatal data is important as it ensures the AIR contains a complete and reliable dataset to enable the monitoring of:
immunisation coverage and administration
the effectiveness and safety of maternal vaccines and vaccination programs.
At certain times of the year the PBS authorities telephone line may experience prolonged call wait times due to an increased in commonly PBS-prescribed medicines.
To avoid delays in prescribing PBS-subsidised medicines for ongoing health conditions, prescribers can request authority approvals using the Online PBS Authorities system. This allows for faster processing and reduces the need for phone based approvals.
Examples of ongoing health conditions include:
Medicines commonly prescribed for back to school, eg adrenaline for acute allergic reaction with anaphylaxis
Medicines available for 60-day prescribing
Prescribers can prepare and save an authority request prior to seeing the patient and then finalise the request and submit it for assessment during the consultation.
First Nations resources supporting palliative care at home
caring@home has released new and updated resources to support First Nations people and families receiving palliative care at home. When care at home is preferred, it can be provided to help connect family, culture, community, Country and the spiritual wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
New resources include factsheets to support the use of infusion devices, which feature plain language and images about common types of infusion devices and explain why they are used, how they work and how families and carers can help check them.
All resources are a part of the Palliative Care Clinic Box and feature tailored Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artwork. Clinical services can print hard copies of these free resources to provide to families when needed.
Perioperative medicine moves ahead
ANZCA's March Perioperative Medicine Communique, the first since the launch of ANZCA's Chapter of Perioperative Medicine, highlights the expansion in the number of cross-specialty graduates of chapter, the new key committees set to drive policy and education.
National Art Competition Highlights Violence Prevention
Public voting closes 30 April
Art has the power to challenge, heal, and inspire action.
That’s exactly what Violence Prevention Australia (VPA) aims to achieve through its national art competition, which has brought artists together to explore themes of resilience, healing, and the urgent need for violence prevention.
With the support of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM), the Stop it Before It Starts art competition ran from National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in May last year until Valentine’s Day 2025, and public voting for the People’s Choice Prize is open until 30 April.
Chronic Kidney Disease Management in Primary Care Handbook - 5th Edition
The CKD handbook has been a staple resource for primary care for almost 20 years. The handbook provides guidance and clinical tips to help primary care practitioners to detect, manage and refer patients with CKD in their practice. The 5th edition features updates to the management of kidney disease and the medications that slow disease progression - a must read!
Over the last 5 editions, the handbook has been improved upon, through feedback and input from primary care professionals to guide content and design. Leading to the handbook being available to purchase in hard copy, to download as a digital copy, as an app and a brand-new web-based app. Head to the Kidney Health Australia website to learn more.
Continued access to medications for veterans impacted by the Qld, NSW floods
Veteran card holders in flood affected areas of Far North Queensland, South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales can continue to access important medicines from an approved pharmacist, where there is an immediate need for the medicine, but it is not possible to obtain a valid prescription. This may be due to loss of access to the prescription due to the floods, or if the veteran card holder is unable to access their medical practitioner.
The supply of veteran card holder medicines in this way is subject to the Continued Dispensing arrangements of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Only one supply of medicines can be provided under Continued Dispensing arrangements in a 12-month period. The veteran card holder must previously have been prescribed this medicine and the pharmacist must be satisfied that it is urgently needed and it is not practical to obtain a new prescription due to the impacts of the floods.
This measure will be in place until 31 March 2025.
ACRRM members were joined by President Dr Rod Martin and CEO Marita Cowie for the first member networking event of the year in Boorloo (Perth) last week. These events are a great opportunity to connect with rural health professionals and to chat with ACRRM staff about the College.
Click here to find out when a member networking event is coming to your region.
NSW regional workshop in Dubbo
Registrars from NSW and the ACT were in Dubbo last week for a regional education workshop.
Attendees were able to refine their RG skills over two days as well as link up with the RFDS for a tour of their base and networking evening.
RuralEM: Case 114 is now live – Missing a beat
Tony, a 73-year-old male, presents to a rural ED with dizziness and near fainting. His vitals at triage:
BP: 122/80
HR: 40
SpO2: 98% RA
Temp: 36°C
What are your differential diagnoses? What immediate actions would you take?
Don't miss this opportunity to learn from telehealth experts Dr Shaun Francis and Dr John Kelly, both experienced FACRRMs, in a practical, skills-based online workshop designed for rural and remote clinicians.
What’s Included:
Access to a comprehensive online course with telehealth clinical skills modules
90-minute interactive workshop
6 CPD hours (3.5 hours of educational activity + 2.5 hours of performance review)
Health and Wellbeing QLD – Chronic Disease Prevention Advisory Group
Health and Wellbeing Queensland is excited to be establishing a Chronic Disease Prevention Advisory Group.
We are seeking frontline clinicians who are passionate about improving prevention, timely identification, and early intervention of chronic disease, and have an interest or specialty in the First 2000 Days (preconception to preschool years).
If you have the knowledge, and interest to help shape chronic disease prevention across the health system, please see the Expression of Interest featured on our Consultations webpage. Your input will directly inform statewide chronic disease prevention initiatives and drive meaningful change.
Opportunity to join the first ACCHO-Led SEM as a registrar or GP supervisor
Are you a registrar or supervisor looking for a unique, career-defining training experience that offers stability, cultural immersion, and hands-on rural exposure?
Two exciting opportunities are available within the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO) ACCHO-Led Single Employer Model (SEM) at CWAATSICH Charleville. These roles provide a unique chance to be part of a transformative model that prioritises cultural safety, community-led healthcare, and rural GP training excellence.
Learn more about these opportunities on the ACRRM Jobs Board:
ACRRM acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the custodians of the lands and waters where our members and staff work and live across Australia. We pay respect to their elders, lores, customs and Dreaming. We recognise these lands and waters have always been a place of teaching, learning, and healing.
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