New rules allowing nurse practitioners and midwives to prescribe tests and drugs under Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme have been welcomed by medical workers working at the ACT.

This law would also provide protection scheme for midwives, excluding those who help in births at home. The Federal Parliament passed the law.

According to the ACT Australian Nursing Federation spokesperson Jenny Miragaya, time might be taken for the changes to be implemented.

She said, "Particularly in the ACT where we have such a shortage of doctors I would hope that this will add an extra dimension to the provision of primary healthcare."

Doctors are supporting this rule, as this would force the midwives to state that they are working with doctors, Paul Jones from the Australian Medical Association said.

ACT Health Minister Katy Gallagher said, "This change gives them that capacity which means that other community-based settings will be able to take up nurse practitioners, employ them, and allow them to see patients which is part of the challenge of meeting our communities' health needs."