Residential aged care medication administration bill introduced

Victoria has introduced the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment (Medication Administration in Residential Aged Care) Bill 2025 into the Victorian Parliament. Under the new legislation, from 1 July 2026 only registered and enrolled nurses — or other authorised health professionals such as pharmacists and GPs — are able to administer specific medicines and drugs of dependence to aged care residents.

The changes seek to address problems highlighted by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which found that too many residents were given medication unsafely; this included without proper oversight, without clinical judgement or sometimes not given medication at all.

Included are drugs such as local anaesthetics, antibiotics, and medicines with strict legislative controls including opioid analgesics like pethidine, morphine, oxycodone, benzodiazepines and clinical trial medications.

“These reforms will ensure that medication in aged care is handled with the same care and clinical oversight you would expect in any hospital or health service across the state,” Victoria’s Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas said.

Developed after extensive consultation with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, peak bodies, providers — including public, private, community, charity, religious and multicultural providers — and unions, the bill allows for exceptions in emergencies or other unexpected situations where delayed medication could put a resident at risk — giving power to make rules for when the usual requirements do not apply.

“These changes are about putting the safety of residents first — making sure our older Victorians living in aged care receive the right medication, safely and at the right time, from the right professionals,” Victoria’s Minister for Ageing Ingrid Stitt said.

Under the changes, residents will not be stopped from taking their own medication when it’s safe to do so and the changes will not affect how medicines are given in other care settings or under the Voluntary Assisted Dying scheme, the state government advised. To ensure it is working as intended and that providers continue to have the support they need, the reform will be reviewed after five years.

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