17 September 2025
From 30 March 2026, the Professional Capabilities for Medical Radiation Practitioners will include anaphylaxis training as a mandatory requirement. This coincides with changes in state and territory regulatory environments whereby medical radiation practitioners are (or soon will be) legally permitted to administer adrenaline to patients experiencing anaphylactic reactions. ASMIRT has advocated to state health departments in favour of this change for several years.
ASMIRT runs regular Anaphylaxis Recognition and Management workshops. Check our CPD Events for the next one.
Current state and territory regulations regarding the administration of adrenaline are detailed below.
Western Australia has no regulatory barrier to medical radiation practitioners administering adrenaline to a patient experiencing an anaphylactic reaction. This is regardless of whether the adrenaline is in an autoinjector, such as an EpiPen, or in an ampoule or vial that has to be drawn up into a syringe. In addition, there is no requirement for a medical radiation practitioner to receive a direction from a medical practitioner prior to administering this potentially life-saving medicine.
The Victorian Department of Health supports the rationale for appropriately trained medical radiation practitioners to administer adrenaline in medical emergencies. There is no barrier to the administration of schedule 3 medicines, including adrenaline for treatment of anaphylaxis, by medical radiation practitioners under the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 (the Act) or the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2017.
Under the Controlled Substances Act 1984 and the Controlled Substances (Poisons) Regulations 2011 there are no restrictions or prohibitions upon the administration of a schedule 3 drug such as adrenaline by a person (including medical radiation practitioners) to another person.
Section 30 of the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 specifies the persons who may carry out regulated activities with a regulated substance, such as a medicine, poison or prohibited substance:
An approved person who is a member of a ‘class of persons’, such as a doctor, nurse practitioner or another health practitioner;
The ‘classes of persons’ and the associated authorisations for each class are specified within schedules 3 to 15 of the Medicines Regulation. (Adrenaline is a schedule 3 medicine.)
The Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 2012 permits Medical Radiation Practitioners to supply or administer (but not sell) schedule 3 medicines where they are doing so within the scope of practice as endorsed by the MRPBA. The practitioner must meet all other legal requirements on labelling and record keeping around schedule 3 medicines under NT and national law. Adrenaline 1:1000 and in autoinjector form (i.e EpiPen) are schedule 3 medicines. As above, medical radiation practitioners may administer this legally in the NT.
The Health Department notes that multiple Victorian Coroner recommendations in relation to Peta Hickey’s death have a significant focus on the need for health professionals to be adequately trained and competent in providing care in a medical emergency such as anaphylactic shock.
The Tasmanian Poisons Act 1971 (the Act) and Poisons Regulations 2018 (the Regulations) now allow any person to administer adrenaline for the treatment of anaphylaxis to obtain this medicine from a pharmacist for this purpose.
There is no legal barrier under the NSW Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966, for appropriately trained medical radiation practitioners initiating and administering adrenaline in emergencies.
Changes to Part 1.4A of the Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation 2008 enable “to the extent necessary to practice as a medical radiation practitioner in accordance with the MRP registration standard and, if employed, within the scope of employment, do any of the following:
The Regulations also allow the emergency supply and administration of adrenaline and salbutamol, at Part 9.2 of the Regulations, Section 410. This section enables all health care practitioners to administer adrenaline in emergencies, as may occur subsequent to an medical radiation practitioner injecting contrast media.
