In the media

Safety review of baby bouncers, rockers and inclined sleep products
The ACCC will begin a safety review of products designed for infants such as bouncers, rockers and inclined sleep products (12 July 2019). More...

World update recognises emotional key to healthy workplaces
In its recent 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases, The World Health Organisation recognised the serious effects of burnout, defining it as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed (12 July 2019). More...

TGA opioid RUM push
Pain patients with unused opioids are being urged to return them to their local pharmacy, as part of a social media campaign being rolled out by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (12 July 2019). More...

SHPA welcomes ongoing urgency to address opioid-related harm
Eight months after the release of its landmark Reducing Opioid-related Harm report, the SHPA has welcomed a new awareness campaign from the Therapeutic Goods Administration aimed at curbing the growing incidence of harm caused by opioid-containing products in the Australian community (10 July 2019). More...

'Public's not adequately protected': Medical regulator accused of not doing its job properly
Understaffing, a toxic culture and pressure to meet unrealistic targets at the national health regulator are risking public safety, according to whistleblowers (09 July 2019). More...

CEO of ARPANSA restricts production in the ANSTO Nuclear Medicine facility after accident
Production of nuclear medicine at ANSTO's Nuclear Medicine facility was halted on 21 June following an accident in which the hands of three workers were exposed to radiation (08 July 2019). More...

The deadly perils of not investing in medical AI
Professor Enrico Coiera, The Director of the Australian Institute of Health Informatics, said we were going to need to formulate a national approach to AI in medicine if we wanted our local sector to be safe and have ethical governance. In Australia, there are few standards to oversee safe and effective use of digital health, and none specifically dealing with AI (08 July 2019). More...

Child immunisation at record levels
The number of Australian children who are fully immunised continues to increase to record levels with new data showing more parents are getting the message to protect their children with life-saving vaccines (08 July 2019). More...

Queensland

Aged-care home shutdown 'wake up call'
Aged-care facilities across Australia are at "risk of failure" without adequate federal funding, the industry's peak body has warned, after the sudden shut down of a Queensland facility left residents stranded. The federal government has promised a full investigation into the Queensland facility (13 July 2019). More...

Gold Coast nursing home residents in limbo, claims wages unpaid for a month
Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles has called for an investigation into the sudden closure of a Gold Coast aged care facility yesterday after claims the nursing home was stripped and patient records taken (12 July 2019). More...

Mining bosses could face $10m fines under industrial manslaughter laws
The Queensland government will consider expanding industrial manslaughter laws to the resources sector, which could lead to mining bosses being fined up to $10 million. The development comes after crisis talks on Wednesday afternoon with the mining sector, following the deaths of six workers in Queensland's mines and quarries in the past 12 months (10 July 2019). More...

Community consultation opens on CQ rehab site
The Central Queensland community will be able to have their say on a possible site for a new 42-bed residential rehabilitation site in Rockhampton (10 July 2019). More...

Superbug risk will rise if Queensland pharmacy trial continues
The Queensland government is exposing the community to one of the biggest global health risks, antibiotic resistant infections, as it prepares for a pharmacist antibiotic dispensing trial according to Queensland Chair of the RACGP, Dr Bruce Willett (08 July 2019). More...

Queensland Health issues measles alert for Brisbane's north
A measles alert has been issued for Brisbane's northside, making it the fourth in 2019. About 30 per cent of adults with measles will be hospitalised and Queensland Health offers free vaccines to anyone who was born in 1966 or later and who has not had two doses of the MMR vaccine (08 July 2019). More...

Published – articles, papers, reports

AAMRI e-news 9 July 2019
In this issue; Government update – Consultations currently open, Sector news – Government accepts stillbirth report recommendations, NHMRC update – Application dates for major schemes, MRFF update – Genomics Health Futures Missions deadline extension, Other funding & award opportunities – 2020 CSL Centenary Fellowship closes soon, Reports & resources – 2019 Sector Competitiveness Plan. More...

Practice and Regulation

RACGP Submission: Feedback on the Draft Clinical Practice Guidelines for Keratinocyte Cancer
Advocacy
The submission provides feedback regarding a number of areas, including the following: The title of the guidelines, Definition of the term "specialist", Epidemiology of basal cell carcinoma and Early detection of keratinocyte cancers and opportunistic screening (08 July 2019). More...

SafeWork Australia: Proposal to adopt updated GHS under the model WHS laws
Since 1 January 2017, the 3rd revised edition of the GHS (GHS 3) has been implemented under the model Work Health and Safety laws. A Consultation Paper has been prepared which outlines the key changes between GHS 3 and GHS 7 and the particular issues we would like feedback on. More...

Personalised Medical Devices
The International Medical Device Regulators Forum working group on Personalized Medical Devices is developing guidance for definitions and regulatory pathways for Regulatory Authorities to consider in the regulation of medical devices that are intended for individual patients. The goal is to promote global harmonisation in the terminology and premarket requirements for such devices. The working group's chair is Dr Elizabeth McGrath. More...

Consultation Paper on the Pricing Framework for Australian Public Hospital Services 2020–21
The Independent Health Pricing Authority is currently consulting on the Pricing Framework for Public Hospitals to apply for 2020-21. Among the matters on which the IHPA is consulting is whether it should make the National Benchmarking Portal publicly available. More...

New Australian Standards

DR AS/NZS 2500:2019
Guide to the safe use of electricity in patient care. Standards Australia. More...

TGA Notifications

Updates to variations to prescription medicines guidance and e-form
What has been updated? (10 July 2019). More...

Everything you ever wanted to know about sunscreens (but were afraid to ask)
Tips on what to consider when choosing or applying a sunscreen (10 July 2019). More...

Scheduling committees meeting dates and decisions timeframes
Scheduling committees meeting dates and decisions timeframes (10 July 2019). More...

Variations to prescription medicines - excluding variations requiring the evaluation of clinical or bioequivalence data
Updates to the prescription medicine variations guidance and e-form (10 July 2019). More...

TGA strengthens regulation of stem cell treatments
New regulations for stem cell treatments in Australia came into force on 1 July 2019 (09 July 2019). More...

Submissions received and summary: Proposal for the regulation of IVD companion diagnostics
Publication of submissions received to the 'Proposal for the regulation of IVD companion diagnostics' consultation (09 July 2019). More...

Australian Public Assessment Reports for prescription medicines (AusPARs)
Added Plitidepsin (Aplidin), Octocog alfa (bhk) (Kovaltry) and Lenalidomide (Revlimid) (08 July 2019). More...

Queensland

Queensland Parliament – 11 July 2019
Report - No. 32, 56th Parliament - Medicines and Poisons Bill 2019
The Committee's findings from its investigation into the Medicines and Poisons Bill 2019.
State Development, Natural Resources and Agricultural Industry Development Committee - Report No. 32, 56th Parliament - Medicines and Poisons Bill 2019 inquiry.
Report - No. 31, 56th Parliament - Therapeutic Goods Bill 2019
The Committee's findings from its investigation into the Therapeutic Goods Bill 2019.
State Development, Natural Resources and Agricultural Industry Development Committee - Report No. 31, 56th Parliament - Therapeutic Goods Bill 2019 inquiry.

QAO Audit: Addressing mine dust lung disease
This audit will examine how effectively public sector entities have implemented recommendations aimed at reducing the risk and occurrence of mine dust lung disease. In progress. Anticipated tabling: Aug–Oct 2019. More...

HQCC Investigation register
The nature of the matter being investigated is noted below in general terms, and may be connected to relevant legislation or a framework. Descriptions beginning with a number refer to a potential offence under the corresponding section of the Health Ombudsman Act 2013. Descriptions beginning with 'Clause' refer to alleged contravention of the corresponding clause of the National Code of Conduct for Health Care Workers (Queensland). More...

Legislation

Commonwealth

Regulations

Australian Hearing Services (Declared Hearing Services) Determination 2019
This instrument establishes, under the Australian Hearing Services Act 1991, the classes of people to whom Australian Hearing Services provides declared hearing services (10 July 2019).

Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code—Schedule 20–maximum residue limits Variation Instrument No. APVMA 4, 2019
This instrument amends Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code – Schedule 20 – Maximum residue limits to set new and varied maximum residue limits and make changes to certain residue definitions, commodities and substances (10 July 2019).

Hearing Services Program (Voucher) Instrument 2019
This instrument facilitates the administration of the voucher component of the Hearing Services Program as established by the Hearing Services Administration Act 1997. It determines classes of eligible persons additional to those described by the Act, the rules around obtaining and using a 'voucher' for government funded hearing services and specifies services and devices available to eligible persons (09 July 2019).

Therapeutic Goods (Breast Implants Information) Specification 2019
This instrument specifies the publication of certain therapeutic goods information relating to breast implants, mammary implants or tissue expanders (09 July 2019).

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