Nurses and Midwives to Prescribe Abortion Drugs in Queensland

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The Australian state of Queensland has passed a law that will allow nurses and midwives to prescribe the abortion drug MS-2 Step.

Traditionally, obtaining a prescription for the drug in Australia requires a doctor’s approval. The drug, MS-2 Step, can be used to terminate a pregnancy up to 63 days from gestation.

Under the new law, the Queensland government is allowing more health workers to provide the drug to pregnant women.

“The Bill will allow nurse practitioners, endorsed midwives, and qualified registered nurses and midwives to perform medical terminations in the early stages of pregnancy,” the government said.

“Currently in Queensland, a person in the early stages of pregnancy can only obtain a prescription for the medical termination of pregnancy drug, MS-2 Step, from a doctor.

“This can result in inequitable access to safe early medical termination of pregnancy services due to the availability of medical practitioners.”

The Health and Other Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2023 (pdf) also omitted the word “woman” and replaced it with “person” and replaced the word “herself” with “themself.”

The Labor and Greens championed this legislation in the Queensland parliament, while Liberal National MPs spoke and voted against elements of the legislation including the removal of the word “woman.”

Speaking in parliament on March. 7, Minister for Health Shannon Fentiman said she was proud to be making reforms a reality for Queensland women and girls.

“I am proud that we are enhancing access to medical termination of pregnancy, especially for people who live in rural and regional Queensland,” Ms. Fentiman said (pdf).

Ms. Fentiman said access to safe termination-of-pregnancy care is “a human right” essential for sexual and reproductive autonomy.

“During the Queensland parliamentary committee process, stakeholders working in reproductive and women’s health made it clear that the proposed changes to allow additional health practitioners to perform medical terminations of pregnancy would make a difference on the ground by allowing improved access closer to home.

“It is of little surprise that those opposite will be voting against these amendments. ”

Liberal National Party MP’s Raises Concerns About Complications

The Opposition, however, raised concerns that allowing termination of pregnancy for midwives in regional areas could be a problem, given possible complications with abortion.

Liberal National Party Shadow Minister for Health Ros Bates said the decision to include registered nurses goes against recommendations in a Labor-run Senate committee report which was the catalyst of this bill.

Ms. Bates said she had genuine concerns about the safety risks for women in rural and regional Queensland.

“Particularly in rural and regional Queensland—it does not matter where you are in Queensland—no midwife or registered nurse can perform a dilation and curettage. No midwife or registered nurse can perform a laparotomy or laparoscopy for an ectopic pregnancy,” she said.

“When it comes to delivering health services, we have to get the fundamentals right and build up from there. For many in our regional rural towns, the fundamentals are not there. Basic services such as birthing are not available in many communities.

“The government’s priority should be establishing and maintaining effective and well-resourced health services across these geographies, getting the fundamentals right and then expanding. To do the opposite risks patient safety.”

Member for Toowoomba North Trevor Watts also raised similar concerns, noting “I want to place on the record that I am a supporter of right to life.”

“The main issue of contention with the bill for me relates to the Termination of Pregnancy Act 2018, which states that health practitioners be given permission to prescribe, administer, and give treatment doses of termination-of-pregnancy drug MS-2 Step,” Mr. Watts said.

“The availability or lack thereof of health services in regional, rural, and remote Queensland to provide the necessary care for women who may suffer complications following their decision to terminate a pregnancy under the changes being proposed is of great concern.”

The law, passed by the Queensland Parliament on March 7,  also aimed to improve the midwife-to-patient ratio by counting newborns as separate patients.

Midwife-to-patient ratios will be rolled out in a staged approach. Commencing in 2024, a one-midwife-to-six-patient ratio will occur at public maternity wards that have high-level services delivering complex care and acting as a referral service.

Premier Touts Termination of Pregnancy Funding

Queensland Premier Steven Miles also touted the abortion laws in multiple posts on social media.

He posted an image to X (formerly Twitter) saying “her body, her choice,” on March 6.

“This week we’ve announced a big funding boost for termination of pregnancy services,” he said.

“It’s part of our Women and Girls’ Health Strategy. Nobody makes the decision to terminate a pregnancy lightly. Women should have the support and access to services they need during that time.”