AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen provides members with the latest from the national AMA.
Hello, and happy Friday to you all.
Some very sad news this week, with the passing of Emeritus Professor John Murtagh AO.
Professor Murtagh dedicated his life to general practice teaching - the most recent edition of his textbook was only recently published. Like many of you, I studied it closely and looked up to him as a leader of our profession. I had the pleasure of meeting him once and was amazed by his kindness and generosity of time for a starstruck young GP. Vale, Prof Murtagh - he will be sorely missed, but fondly remembered and his legacy will live on in medical education for years to come.
In happier news, I had the pleasure of joining our Council of Doctors in Training (CDT) meeting last weekend. What an incredible and inspiring group of doctors! Over 2 days in Canberra they tackled so many issues - training bottlenecks and fee transparency, the future of medical and other health workforces, how to address the unacceptable bullying and harassment rates in our profession, rural training pathways, and supporting the Medical Training Survey. All this will shape their advocacy priorities for 2026. I must say, CDT meetings always fill me with optimism that despite the challenges we all face, the future is in good hands.
I met with new Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) President Denise Lyons this week to welcome her to the role and discuss our shared priorities. Primary care nurses are a critical part of general practice and aged care. In particular, we talked about the importance of advocating for general practice funding so that practices can employ the practices nurses they need to provide excellent team care.
Health ministers have directed the Pharmacy Board of Australia (PBA) to develop a national endorsement for pharmacist prescribing and I met with the PBA to discuss this. The current situation is a dog's breakfast, with a different set of rules in each state and territory. But equalising to the lowest common denominator is not the answer. I reiterated our strong opposition to autonomous non-medical prescribing and the risks it poses to fragmentation of care. I emphasised that doctors do far more than prescribing - most of our time is spent talking to the patient, continually assessing and reassessing differentials, working up a plan, discussing treatment options and more. We further noted that separation of prescribing and dispensing remains a critical safety mechanism. Most importantly, we discussed that decisions like this determine the future of our health system. Evidence shows that having a strong, connected primary care system with a regular GP improves health outcomes. This is lost when the doctor is removed from the equation. Regulators, including the PBA, have a responsibility to shape a safe, high-quality system.
A highlight this week was travelling to Melbourne to host our first AMA Women in Leadership Program, an event held in partnership with Monash University and as a partner in the Advancing Women in Healthcare Leadership (AWHL) initiative. The AMA has been on the AWHL journey since 2021, using evidence to deliver results for gender equity both within the AMA and across the health system. It was a delight to share the day with 25 doctors from across the country as we reflected on our leadership goals, our strengths, and how to stretch ourselves to be the best version of ourselves we can. Leadership can take many forms, and I was so proud that the AMA could play a part in supporting these incredible doctors on their journey.
Between the sad news of Prof Murtagh, CDT and the women at the leadership course, it's been a week of reflection, gratitude, inspiration and optimism. A perfect mindset to really enjoy the next week…of leave! As you read this, I'm just kicking off a week in South Korea. Our Vice President Julian Rait will be holding the reins while I sample my way through kimchi, Korean fried chicken, tteokbokki and soju - and of course enjoying some non-food and beverage-based delights!
I'll be back in a fortnight to update you again. Until then, stay safe and well.
