Message from the President - September 2025
I am pleased to share important news that represents a significant recognition of advanced practice nursing roles in cancer care.
Positive PBAC Recommendations
At its July 2025 meeting, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) recommended that nurse practitioners (NPs), once authorised within their scope of practice, be permitted to continue treatment and prescribe repeat scripts for a wide range of oncology and haematology medicines. This would apply once an initial prescription has been made by a medical specialist.
While these recommendations are not yet implemented, they are an important step toward enabling NPs to work to the top of their scope of practice. This progress aligns with recent government directions, including both the National Nursing Workforce Strategy and the Nurse Practitioner Workforce Plan. I am proud that CNSA was actively involved in consultations and drafting submissions for both of these important strategies. I want to thank our members for their continued advocacy — your voices are helping to drive these reforms.
This change will mean improved continuity of care, faster access to essential treatments for patients, and greater recognition of the contribution nurse practitioners make within cancer care teams.
You can read more in the PBAC’s summary here.
CanForum25 | Now it’s personal: equity and access for all
This week, I attended CanForum 2025, hosted by Rare Cancers Australia (RCA) at Parliament House. This important annual event brings together clinicians, policymakers, advocates, and people affected by cancer to tackle the most pressing issues in achieving equity and access to cancer care.
I was struck by the strength of the patient voice and the call to consider the whole person, not just their cancer. We heard powerful lived experience stories of inequities in diagnosis, access, and affordability, alongside discussions on the potential of genomics and personalised medicine, and the importance of embedding supportive care as a vital part of treatment. These discussions reinforced the essential role that cancer nurses play in delivering the right support, at the right time, in the right place.
For members interested in learning more about advocacy and the importance of the rare cancers community, I encourage you to join our Community of Practice event on 19 September (click here to find out more). We’ll be joined by RCA’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Sarah Benger, and Outreach and Education Manager, Arlie Novy, for an important conversation on these issues.
Advocacy in action
It was also inspiring to see so many members of the Australian Cancer Nursing and Navigation Program in the room. This program represents a significant Commonwealth investment in nursing and navigation, and like with all new programs, implementation, iteration, and evaluation are vital.
I want to assure you that CNSA is actively listening, learning and advising to ensure this program achieves its overarching objective of delivering more equitable cancer care across Australia.
During the day, I also had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Rebecca White MP, to discuss the importance of nurse-led models of care, and I look forward to continuing to build on this relationship.
CNSA remains central to these national conversations, and I am proud that NGOs working in this space are collaborating strongly to ensure that every patient, regardless of cancer type, has equitable access to the care and medicines they need.
Together, these developments — the PBAC recommendations, the ongoing investment in nursing and navigation, and the advocacy demonstrated at CanForum — reflect real progress toward a health system that makes the best use of nursing expertise and delivers better outcomes for people affected by cancer.
Kind regards,
Anne Mellon
CNSA President
