Eligible Midwife
- Details
- Published on Friday, 21 October 2011 07:17
- Written by Ginny
On 1 November 2010, new laws came into effect that give eligible nurse practitioners and midwives access to specific items in the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and access to a limited list of items under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
To be eligible to access these services they must apply for a Medicare provider number and PBS prescriber number.
How are they eligible?
To be eligible for a Medicare provider number they must:
- be registered under the National Registration Accreditation Scheme, and
- be endorsed as a nurse practitioner by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, or
- be notated as an eligible midwife by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, and
- be in private practice to access MBS services, refer to specific specialists and request some pathology and diagnostic items.
To be eligible for a PBS prescriber number they must:
- be registered under the National Registration Accreditation Scheme, and
- be endorsed as a nurse practitioner by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, or
- be notated as an eligible midwife who is qualified to prescribe by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
To be identified as a nurse practitioner or eligible midwife, the Board needs to assess their qualifications and experience.
