SYDNEY, July 22 (UPI) -- The Australian government is considering a proposal to create a new kind of rural health worker who could diagnose and prescribe some drugs, officials said.
The doctor-nurse hybrid would either offer existing nurses, science graduates and other health workers additional courses, or provide "tiers" of training that would eventually amount to doctor training, the Australian reported.
It's expected the Australian Medical Association would oppose the plan because it has maintained that only doctors should be allowed to prescribe medications.
The hybrid model would provide for medical personnel for those in rural area.
"The existing training programs (for doctors and nurses) turn out
professionals who want professional lifestyles," Dr. Sue Page, Northern Rivers University Department of Rural Health director, told the Australian.
