Hansard debates

              HEALTH PRACTITIONERS (SPECIAL EVENTS EXEMPTION) BILL
                                 Second reading

  Mr THWAITES (Minister for Health) -- I move:
That this bill be now read a second time.
The principal aim of the bill is to  authorise  visiting health practitioners to
provide health  care  services  to  visitors  in  Victoria  in  connection  with
designated special events while exempting such practitioners from the provisions
of Victorian law relating to health practitioners.

The Victorian government has made a commitment to host rounds  of both the men's
and women's football -- soccer -- competitions of the Olympic Games in September
2000. In addition, there may be other visiting teams associated with the Olympic
Games who use facilities in Victoria for training prior to the games.
Over any year  Victoria also hosts  special sporting, cultural and  other events
which bring teams or groups of participants  from other countries into  Victoria
specifically to take part in the special event.
Many  groups or teams  associated with special events  are accompanied by health
practitioners  who  provide  health services  to  the  visiting  group  or  team
participants. Formal  registration  processes  as  provided  for in the existing
Victorian  health practitioner registration acts are not  deemed  necessary  for
visiting health practitioners to provide services to members of a visiting  team
or group.

Provision is made in this bill for the Minister for  Health to declare a special
event  in  the Government Gazette.  Visiting health practitioners  will  then be
exempted from the offence provisions contained  in a health registration act and
from those contained in the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act and its
regulations.
Furthermore,  visitors who  are members  of a team or group who are  visiting as
part  of  a  declared  special event will be exempt from any  offence  provision
contained in the  Drugs, Poisons and Controlled  Substances Act and  regulations
relating to the possession or use  of a drug or poison where the drug  or poison
has been prescribed or supplied to them by a visiting health practitioner.
The bill also makes provision  for a person who is licensed to supply  or sell a
drug or poison to be exempted from offence provisions of  the Drugs, Poisons and
Controlled Substances Act and regulations 

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when  the  sale  or  supply  is  to a visiting health practitioner. Similarly, a
pharmacist  who  dispenses  a  prescription  written  by   a   visiting   health
practitioner is  also   exempt from  offences  under   the Drugs,  Poisons   and
Controlled Substances Act and regulations.
The bill authorises visiting  health practitioners to provide health services to
any visitor during an exemption period of  a special event; authorises  visiting
health practitioners to use any title he  or  she  normally  uses  in  providing
health services  and to hold himself or  herself out  as being  able to  provide
those services.  Visiting  health practitioners are  also able to  prescribe  or
supply a  drug or poison to a visitor and to obtain or purchase drugs or poisons
for supply to a visitor.

In  addition to the above exemptions and authorisations, the ministerial special
event order  will  specify the exemption period, impose conditions, restrictions
or limitations  on  visiting health practitioners  relating  to services  to  be
provided or to the security or storage of drugs and poisons in their possession.
This  bill  will  streamline   the  process  necessary  for  a  visiting  health
practitioner  to provide  health care services to a  member of  a group  or team
associated with a designated special event.
I commend the bill to the house.
Debate adjourned on motion of Mr DOYLE (Malvern).

  Mr THWAITES (Minister for Health) -- I move:

That the debate be adjourned until Tuesday, 23 November.