For some physiotherapists, the idea of treating the mind as well as the body might seem beyond the scope of the profession.

As the role of physiotherapists continues to evolve, new opportunities are emerging for the profession to work to its full scope of practice. 

One area where this is already occurring is prescribing – in specific settings and locations, advanced practice physiotherapists are currently authorised to prescribe certain medications. 

AI tools are increasingly being adopted in Australian physiotherapy practice. 

However, the speed and process of adoption may be influenced by organisational context. 

An AI scribe that listens to a consultation and drafts a clinical note provides a useful example. 

One of the most important roles I have as APA National President is being a storyteller. 

In September, Katherine Utry, our General Manager of Policy and Government Relations, and I spent three days in Canberra meeting with parliamentarians, advisers and senior government officials. 

Our discussions covered Medicare, primary care, women’s health, veterans’ care, the NDIS and aged care. We took evidence and policy proposals but we also took stories. 

Every few weeks, a clinician shows me something they have built. 

It might be an artificial intelligence (AI) scribe tailored to initial assessments, a dashboard that identifies patients drifting away from their exercise program or a tool that helps triage a growing waitlist. 

Physiotherapy in Australia is growing rapidly, both in numbers and in the breadth of what our profession contributes to Australians’ health. 

As of March 2026, Australia has more than 50,000 registered physiotherapists, while the APA represents close to 37,000. 

We are approaching the size of the psychology profession and are on track to become Australia’s third-largest regulated health profession. 

To borrow a line from Uncle Ben in Spider-Man, ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’