Author: Team

Victoria votes: your guide to the 2018 election health promises

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With health care spending accounting for 30% of the Victorian budget, or A$20 billion, health is a major policy area for the Victorian election on Saturday.

While the Commonwealth pays for general practice, private specialists, pharmaceutical benefits and aged care, the states are responsible for running hospitals, community health services and ambulance services. They also want to keep Victorians healthy and out of hospital.

This election campaign, Labor has committed $4.3 billion to health; the Coalition has promised $1.3 billion, and the Greens have pledged $1.35 billion. Much of the difference comes down to infrastructure spending.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Labor

Labor’s health policy emphasises its commitment to a public health system. A re-elected Labor government would build a new hospital in the western Melbourne suburb of Footscray ($1.5 billion) and spend $1.2 billion on capital improvements to other hospitals in outer suburban Melbourne and regional areas.

Labor’s hospital package also includes $675 million for ten new or upgraded community hospitals. These health services would provide day surgeries, diagnostic imaging and specialist outpatients, in addition to admitted and urgent care.

The remainder of nearly A$1 billion goes to a range of other promises, including:

The boost in hospital funding is likely to enhance care in the hospital catchment areas and ease the pressure on surrounding hospitals. Improved nurse-to-patient ratios will likely improve the safety and quality of care in the state’s emergency departments and hospital wards.

Is it necessary to commit $3.3 billion to hospitals, presumably on top of current levels of funding?

Much of this goes to capital improvements. Without such investments now, the existing hospital capacity in and around Melbourne will not be able to keep up. But it’s unclear where the money will come from to run these extra hospitals and hospital expansions. It’s hoped that operating costs will not then be taken from existing hospitals.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Coalition

The Coalition’s funding commitments are spread across the key sectors of health including:

There is evidence for much of the Coalition’s commitments. In particular, palliative care has been shown in trials to not only improve quality of life, but also, in some cancers, survival.

Improving access to community care for disadvantaged groups and in rural and regional areas has the potential to improve the management of chronic disease, such as asthma and diabetes, leading to better health in the long term.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Greens

The Greens’ platform is anchored in a social determinants of health and a population health approach that conceives of health more explicitly as an outcome of broader social and economic conditions.

The Victorian Greens party’s main priorities are:

The Greens’ funding for free ambulance services would ensure nobody misses out on timely care for traumatic injuries and heart attacks because they don’t have ambulance cover. A similar program operates in Queensland.

The Greens have a well-developed policy, conceiving of health and well-being broadly. The package includes substantial commitments to mental health, community health care and dental health.

But there is no extra funding for hospitals beyond the current budget.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Comparing the three parties

The biggest difference in the health funding commitments between the three parties is Labor’s focus on hospital infrastructure funding (which accounts for 78% of its health promises). It’s not clear whether the Coalition and the Greens oppose the bulk of Labor’s hospital commitments or are simply silent.

Although this level of funding to hospitals may seem like an inordinate amount, it’s important to consider the role of modern hospitals. They have become the providers of not only admitted care, but emergency care (including GP-type visits), specialist care in outpatient clinics, chronic disease management and palliative care.

When this hospital infrastructure funding is taken out of consideration, the three parties are hard to distinguish. Labor is promising $960 million, Coalition is pledging $816 million and the Greens have committed $1.3 billion to a range of community, mental health, ambulance, chronic disease and prevention services.

The most evident gaps are Labor’s lack of funding for prevention and innovation, and the Greens’ lack of extra hospital capital funding.

A change to the Coalition would likely mean less hospital funding, particularly for a new Footscray hospital, but significant funding for community palliative care services and hospital in the home.[/vc_column_text][vc_zigzag][vc_column_text]

AUTHORS

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  1. Professor and Head of Department, Public Health, La Trobe University

  2. Professor of Health Economics, La Trobe University

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  1. Senior Lecturer in Epidemiology, La Trobe University

  2. Adjunct Professor at Simon Fraser University and Clinical Professor, University of Saskatchewan

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This article originally appeared on theconversation.com.

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MEDTECH INNOVATORS DESCEND ON SYDNEY

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Kicked off by MTAA’s board Chair, Gavin Fox-Smith, the two-day event was packed with a long list of guest speakers and panel discussions that ranged from politics, software and cybersecurity to patient empowerment and philanthropy.

The organisers stepped up the interactivity this year by inviting the audience to participate in the panel discussions by submitting and voting for questions from their smartphones. Suffice to say the questions were coming thick and fast throughout the panel discussions, but even more so during the first two panels on politics and the next NSW and Federal Election.

Mingling among the sponsor displays during the intermissions PulseLine spotted Stryker South Pacific’s Maurice Ben-Mayor chatting to MTAA’s CEO, Ian Burgess. One can only assume they might have been discussing Stryker being awarded the best place to work for 2 years running, or even Ben-Mayor’s thoughts on CVs that he laid out in a viral LinkedIn post (read it here).

Also, in attendance was Edwards Lifesciences’ Managing Director Pat Williams speaking with MTAA’s outgoing Government Relations and Communications Manager, Polo Guilbert-Wright (a contributor to PulseLine). We understand Polo was head-hunted by Edwards Lifesciences who are looking to leverage his public affairs experience as the government enters an uncertain election period.

This year’s conference also raised the stakes by partnering with the Actuator’s Buzz Palmer and Vishaal Kishore to bring MedTech’s Got Talent (MTGT) to the stage. The top 20 MTGT participants faced off in a one-minute rapid fire round where they pitched for a chance to progress to the Finals Gala event where they will be given the chance to pitch for up to $200,000 in seed equity investment. Needless to say, the participants were nervous, and the audience was enthralled with the innovative solutions these start-ups were presenting. Stay posted for more on this story.

We can’t wait to see how they’ll be able to top 2018’s MedTech Conference next year, but as we have done in the past, PulseLine will bring you all the latest news, insights and interviews from the event.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_images_carousel images=”2536,2537,2538,2539″ img_size=”full” autoplay=”yes” wrap=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

RECORD DATE CHANGED AT 11th HOUR

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In an eleventh-hour reprieve, the Australian Senate voted to extend the opt-out period for a second time, meaning Australians will now have until January 31, 2019 to decide whether they want a My Health Record or not. Those that choose not to opt-out will have a record automatically created in the Government-run online database.

Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, who welcomed the Senate’s extension, has previously said the online health records provide “many benefits to patients, including reduced duplication of tests, better co-ordination of care for people with chronic and complex conditions, and better-informed treatment decisions.”

Speaking on the benefits of the My Health Record scheme, Consumer Health Forum CEO, Leanne Wells, had previously said the clinical benefits of My Health Record for patients are significant and compelling, including hospital admissions avoided, fewer adverse drug events, and better-informed treatment decision.

“For too long, healthcare has lagged behind in exploiting the clear benefits of information technology,” Ms Wells said.

Under the My Health Record framework, data can be linked to other datasets such as the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) or the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) creating an easy to access overview of a user’s profile.

Other industries, including the Medical Technology industry have welcomed the My Health Record. Medical Technology Association of Australia CEO, Ian Burgess, said the development of My Health Record will “provide tremendous opportunity to improve data collection across the whole health system and across the patient journey”.

Ultimately, Australians will be the biggest beneficiaries of the My Health Record system.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

ACCOLADE, AWARDS AND ADMIRATION FOR AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The awards, now in their 16th year, pay tribute to the efforts and energy of some of the sectors highest achievers and some of the most promising innovators in health and medical research.

Research Australia’s CEO, Nadia Levin, said the impact of the working being one across the country and internationally proves Australia’s research sector is a force to be reckoned with.

“We were joined by over 250 people who tirelessly work to improve the health and wellbeing of our wider community, and it was an honour to acknowledge their work,” Ms Levin said.

This year’s winners showcased their ground-breaking discoveries and innovation that represent the promise of better healthcare for all Australians.

The evening’s most prestigious award, the Peter Wills Medal, was awarded to Laureate Professor Nicholas Talley AC, from the University of Newcastle, a global authority in the field of neurogastroenterology, for his pioneering work into unexplained gut disorders that affect millions of people worldwide.

In a wonderful acknowledgement of generosity that has spanned two generations, the Great Australian Philanthropy Award was presented to the Burges Family Trust for its high impact and transformative quality to Australian health and medical research.

Ms Levin said the nominees for each award category were an incredibly high calibre, which is a great sign of things to come.

Research Australia’s Health and Medical Research Winners for 2018 included:

  • The Research Champion Award was awarded to Matthew Grounds, CEO of UBS, for his advocacy work through a range of roles including Chair of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, member on the Samuel’s review of independent medical research institutes, and at the helm of a consortium to advocate for a strengthening of NSW’s cardiovascular research capacity;
  • The Griffith University Discovery Award was awarded to Dr Sarah Best from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research for her remarkable discovery that could change the way lung cancer is diagnosed and treated;
  • The Data Innovation Award was awarded to Dr Craig Dalton from the University of Newcastle, for his FluTracking platform, the largest in the world. The platform collects public health information in real time and on a scale never seen before, helping in the detection of flu outbreaks;
  • The Leadership in Corporate Giving Award was presented to MACA for their contribution to the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research through it world renowned participation of the Ride to Conquer Cancer. As the title sponsor for the Ride, MACA have been directly responsible for funding ground-breaking research at the Perkins;
  • The Health Services Research Award went to Professor Sue Kildea from the University of Queensland for her work in ‘closing the gap’ in maternity care practices for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and building capacity within the midwifery workforce; and
  • The GSK Award for Research Excellence went to Professors Georgina Long and Richard Scolyer from the Melanoma Institute Australia for their exceptional contribution to medical research that has transformed melanoma treatment and patient care.

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First Australian Hospitals Reach International Best Practice for Digital Health

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]St Stephen’s Hospital Hervey Bay (UnitingCare) and The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne are being accredited as Stage 7 – the most advanced stage of the HIMSS Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM). St Stephen’s Hospital Hervey Bay has achieved EMRAM Stage 7 for its inpatient facilities and The Royal Children’s Hospital has achieved Outpatient EMRAM (O-EMRAM) Stage 7 for its outpatient clinics.

According to John Daniels, Global Vice President of HIMSS Analytics, the awards represent the first time that any hospital in Australia has reached this advanced stage of digital healthcare and could lead to significant improvements in patient care.

“Technology is a tool that, when put in the right hands, can change lives. Australia is beginning to realise a future where integrated, more personalised care is a reality,” said Mr Daniels.

“Historically, Australian doctors and nurses faced vast challenges from systems that didn’t communicate with each other, lost records, and information accessibility. This is a major step towards overcoming these issues.”

“These hospitals are showing Australia what digital transformation can achieve – and the outcomes it delivers for Australian patients – and we’re delighted to be part of their journey.”

The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Melbourne uses technology to support the treatment and care of all children, particularly those with complex and chronic disorders, requiring care by multiple specialties. The technology allows clinicians to have a more holistic view of the care that each patient needs and receives: any clinician can receive a real-time, single view of the entire patient journey and the interplay between disciplines.

Prior to the introduction of the EMR, clinicians needed to hand write patient information, which had a number of challenges, particular with timeliness, communication across clinical disciplines, and when patients had multiple and simultaneous clinical needs. With the new electronic medical record system, it is much easier to see every single aspect of a patient’s care, from hospital operations, to outpatient services. This allows staff to provide safer care and improve outcomes.

Along with improved clinical outcomes through a more coordinated delivery of clinical record keeping, the RCH has also opened this transparency up to patients and families. A new patient portal has strengthened the partnership between clinicians and patients’ families, enhancing the hospital’s ability to deliver patient and family centred care.

“We have invested significantly in upgrading our healthcare technology to improve outcomes for patients and their families, and we are seeing the benefits through clinical outcomes, hospital efficiencies and enhancing the transparent healthcare partnership between clinician, hospital, patient and family,” said Jane Miller, Chief Operating Officer of The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne.

Queensland’s first digitalised hospital; St Stephen’s in Hervey Bay has improved efficiencies and patient safety through the utilisation of electronic barcode scanning of blood and medication products. The new system also provides access to online data to monitor and improve care and share data with other health care providers caring for the hospital’s patients.

“Achieving the HIMMS Stage 7 accreditation has been a significant journey. Not only did we demonstrate how we were utilising the technology within our hospital, we were also assessed on our consistency of use, which showed a real behaviour shift by our team.

“For St Stephen’s, the rewards of following the EMRAM process has extended past the utilisation of technology; it has strengthened our ongoing commitment to providing innovative health solutions for the safety and care of our patients,” said Darren Rogers, General Manager St Stephen’s Hospital.

HIMSS Analytics developed the EMR Adoption Model in 2005 as a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of electronic medical record systems for hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics™ Database. The O-EMRAM was developed in 2012 as a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of EMR systems at outpatient facilities. These models consist of eight stages (0-7) that measure a hospital’s implementation and utilisation of information technology applications. The final stage, Stage 7, represents an advanced patient record environment. The validation process to confirm a hospital has reached Stage 7 includes a site visit by an executive from HIMSS Analytics and former or current chief information officers to ensure an unbiased evaluation of the Stage 7 environments.

“Around the world, adopting electronic medical records has been shown to help healthcare organisations to save lives by using data and analytics to improve high-quality care, safety, and efficiency,” Mr Daniels said.

“Stage 7 is really the tipping point that allows hospitals and patients to see the true benefits of EMRs. The real goal across Australia is for all organisations to reach this Stage and achieve better health through information and technology.”

“HIMSS will continue to work with State and National Governments to provide clear direction and help Australian healthcare organisations reach this level nationally.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

FUTURES MEDICAL SHOWCASES LATEST EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES WITH NEW DIGITAL HOSPITAL SYMPOSIUM

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Taking place at Device Technologies’ education facility in Sydney, NSW, on Monday November 5th, the event invited multiple hospital groups and organisations together to collaborate on the most effective ways in which medical education can be accessed.

With face-to-face, on-the-job training becoming an ever important part of clinical education, the need to incorporate more efficient means of sharing and building knowledge has become an issue that all healthcare professionals need to address.

Digital education options have become increasingly available and utilised, helping to build a foundation that provides health care professionals with the opportunity for rapid learning and information retention.

The symposium aimed to address this topic, allowing hospitals, university groups, industry and government representatives to come together for a hands-on experience, and to collaborate on the latest medical education technologies.

Being an industry-first event, the delegation had the opportunity to have a hands-on experience using the latest digital education technologies. These included virtual reality courses for operating room and hospital procedures, clinical augmented reality courses, digital conferencing, Live-Point-of-View remote support (for regional and remote locations) and video production and e-learning for operating theatres.

Among the delegates who were invited to the event included representatives from the NSW Health Education and Training Institute (HETI), Ramsay Healthcare, and Southern Cross Hospitals in New Zealand.

The event also featured multiple speakers and experts in the field of digital health education, including Futures Medical Business Manager Andy Hansen, and a virtual reality contingent from the University of Newcastle. The event was opened by Device Technologies’ CEO, Michael Trevaskis.

“The day was a great success, particularly the round table discussion in the afternoon,” elaborated Hansen.

“This provided a rare forum for representatives from private and public hospital groups in Australia and NZ, academics, clinicians, educators and technology creators to come together to discuss challenges and the potential solutions.

“The wealth of cutting edge technology present on the day left everyone feeling optimistic about what can be achieved”.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”2526″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

2018 MedTech Kerrin Rennie Award goes to Boston Scientific HeartLogic

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With 67,000 new cases each year, Australia spends $3.1B annually on heart failure diagnosis and management. HeartLogic is a heart failure diagnostic tool available to patients with certain Boston Scientific implantable cardiac devices and remote monitoring system. HeartLogic incorporates multiple sensors (heart sounds, respiration rate and volume, thoracic impedance, heart rate and activity) into one composite index to detect gradual worsening of heart failure over days or weeks and sends a single actionable web-based alert when the trend crosses a clinician-set threshold.

This multi-sensor approach allows physicians to detect early warning signs of worsening heart failure symptoms and adjusting treatment to avoid potential hospitalisations.

The other Awards recipients included:

  • Gavin Fox-Smith, Johnson & Johnson Medical APAC – Outstanding Achievement in MedTech;
  • Yolanda Mallouhi, Edwards Lifesciences – Women in MedTech Champion; and
  • Baxter – Women in MedTech Champion.

The Outstanding Achievement Award is open to individuals who have contributed in a significant way to the development of the medical technology industry through improvement to patient outcomes or excellence in leadership and innovation.

With more than 30 years’ experience in the industry, including 21 years at Johnson & Johnson, Gavin Fox-Smith has an extensive background as a senior executive in the Asia Pacific region. Mr Fox-Smith is well known for his track record of developing and exporting outstanding leaders and ensuring a truly diverse and inclusive workforce. He is a passionate advocate for efforts that improve health, literacy and education, particularly for Indigenous communities.

Women in MedTech is a Board led initiative which started in July 2015 in response to the gap of women in leadership positions across the industry. The support and engagement on this issue from members of our industry has been overwhelming, making it a clear issue of importance for MTAA to support. The Women in MedTech Champion is awarded to an individual or a company who has contributed to advancing the mission and goals just mentioned.

The Women in MedTech Individual Champion was awarded to Yolanda Mallouhi. Yolanda has been with Edwards Lifesciences for nearly 11 years as the Senior Manager, HR, responsible for identifying, attracting, retaining and building the talent capabilities of Edwards to meet not only today’s and future business needs. Yolanda has been a key contributor to advancing the women in MedTech agenda in Australia by officially kicking off the E.NOW (Edwards Network of Women) in October 2017.

 The Women in MedTech Company Champion was awarded to Baxter Healthcare. Baxter was once again named among the top 100 companies in Australia for gender equality (Australian Government – Employer of Choice for Gender Equality: 2017, 2016, 2015). With its 16-person Senior Leadership Team for ANZ equally represented by women and men, in line with the industry’s benchmark metrics, Baxter has put gender equality and diversity at the core of its business in Australia.

 Ian Burgess, Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Technology Association of Australia said:

 “The MTAA Annual Industry Awards are an opportunity to recognise our members and individuals who have contributed to improving patient outcomes through MedTech.

“This year we received some fantastic entries, so much so the difference between first and second place for the Kerrin Rennie Award was just one point.

“It’s inspiring to be part of the medical technology industry that every day is focused on improving the health and wellbeing of patients.”

Paul Braico, Vice President and Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand said:

“Boston Scientific is incredibly proud and honored to be awarded the prestigious Kerrin Rennie Award.

“The HeartLogic Diagnostic tool provides physicians the ability to pivot from reactive heart failure treatment to proactive care with an overall goal of improving patient outcomes and reducing heart failure-related hospitalisations.

“This is a really exciting time at both Boston Scientific and for those working in the heart failure space, and we look forward to the results produced from this innovative technology.”[/vc_column_text][vc_separator border_width=”3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GByCBDykhwc”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

INCREASING DOUBT ON VALUE OF PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In 2014, nearly two thirds (65.8%) of fund members agreed that ‘it is essential to have private health insurance’. Each year since then it has declined further to the current level of 56.9% in August 2018.

These are some of the latest findings from Roy Morgan’s Single Source Survey (Australia) which is based on in-depth personal interviews conducted face-to-face with over 50,000 Australians per annum in their own homes, including detailed questioning of over 8,000 interviews with members of private health insurance funds about their views about private health insurance.

Declining attitudes towards private health insurance

Over many years Roy Morgan has been measuring the attitudes of fund members to ten key statements that are focused on how they feel towards having health insurance. Since 2014, there has been an adverse trend across all of these metrics.

Although the majority of fund members (72.1%) still agree that ‘above all else, private health insurance is about knowing that you’ll be able to cover the cost of big medical expenses if they arise’, this has fallen from 77.0% in 2014. The other major level of agreement with 68.9%, was for ‘health insurance gives me peace of mind’ but this also showing a gradual decline from the 74.0% recorded in 2014.

Attitudes to Private Health Insurance

[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”2513″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][vc_separator border_width=”3″][vc_column_text]The biggest change in attitude over the last four years was the 8.9% point decline (to 56.9%) for ‘it is essential to have private health insurance’. Other areas to show major changes were ‘it is difficult to understand what you are covered for’ (up 8.1% points to 44.4%), ‘extras and hospital cover are equally important’ (down 5.9% points to 54.6%) and ‘I don’t see much value in having it’ (up 5.4% points to 16.4%).

It is worth noting that there are no significant differences to these attitudes in capital cities compared to regional Australia.

Generational differences in private health insurance attitudes

There are some major generational differences in attitudes towards private health insurance that must be taken into account when marketing to this very diverse group. An example of this is the high level of agreement (77.2%) among Pre-Boomers that ‘it is essential to have private health insurance’, compared to only 38.2% among Gen Z.

“It is essential to have private health insurance”

[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”2514″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][vc_separator border_width=”3″][vc_column_text]Other differences include Millennials who are a major growth area for private health insurance as they enter the life-stage where they generally have more responsibilities with families and mortgages. This is reflected in the fact they are well above average in agreeing to issues that relate to the cost of health insurance, such as; ‘I want the cheapest and don’t care provider’; ‘only reason to have it is to avoid paying extra tax’; and ‘I don’t see much value in having it’.

As would be expected, it is the youngest generation who are the least engaged in private health insurance. Gen Z who are aged 14 to 27 in this analysis, have very low levels of concern when it comes to health issues and in fact are more likely to ‘rely on recommendations from friends and family in choosing a fund’.

Norman Morris, Industry Communications Director, Roy Morgan says:

“Although the attitudes of private health fund members are reasonably favourable, over recent years they have generally shown an adverse trend, which should be of some concern to both health funds and the government. It appears that the major decline in considering it essential to have private health insurance is likely be a response to the lack of perceived value due to cost and uncertainty of what is covered.

“This research has only covered the attitudes of private health fund members and so it’s likely that people without this insurance are even more adversely predisposed towards health insurance. This makes it a challenge to attract new members as well as retaining existing ones.

“To engage fund members and the general population more in health insurance, this analysis has shown that there is a need to understand what motivates different age groups and generations to take out and stay in health insurance as they cannot be treated as a single homogeneous group.

“With health funding being a major concern for both State and Federal governments, it is vital that they and the health funds continue to promote the benefits of health insurance. Any decline in fund membership will lead to more pressure on the public system and as a result increased government funding.

“The data highlighted here is only a small part of what is available on the full database that covers private health insurance in-depth and trended over many years. With a great of competition in this industry it is important to understand the relative strengths and weaknesses of all the major funds. The results shown in this release can be produced at the individual fund level, enabling unique competitive insights. To find out more ask Roy Morgan.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Therapeutic Goods Advertising Changes

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The following information has been provided by the TGA:

 

Advertising pre-approvals and the new code

We advise advertisers that the date on which an application for pre-approval is decided will determine the version of the code that the advertising must comply with.

Advertisements for medicines that are to appear in specified media require pre-approval under Regulation 5G of the Therapeutic Goods Regulations 1990. The requirement for pre-approval will continue until 1 July 2020.

If you intend to lodge an application for advertising pre-approval between now and 31 December 2018, you should keep this in mind and allow time for revisions if necessary.

If you are in doubt about the application of the 2018 Code to your advertising, please contact us at tga.advertising@tga.gov.au.

Application decided Assessed against
On or after 1 January 2019

(This includes decisions on applications for minor variations to advertisements that were approved before 1 January 2019.)

 2018 Code
On or before 31 December 2018 2015 Code

For pre-approval applications lodged prior to 1 January 2019 but decided on or after 1 January 2019, the decision will be made based on whether the advertisement complies with the 2018 Code.

Education activities

In addition to finalising a further two elearning modules, we are preparing a number of face to face and webinar information sessions over the next few months to educate advertisers on the 2018 Code and the advertising complaints handling framework. We are working with key industry bodies to deliver some of these activities.

To receive more information as it becomes available, please subscribe to the TGA website updates.

Advertising complaints handling framework

We have published information about the framework under which we receive and process advertising complaints. See – Complaints handling for the advertising of therapeutic goods to the Australian public.

Assessment of complaints

For complaints about pre-approved advertisements, compliance will be assessed against the version of the Code under which the advertisement was approved.

For all other advertisements, the version of the Code applied will depend on the date/s on which the advertisement aired or was published:

Advertising occurred Assessed against
On or after 1 January 2019 2018 Code
Before 1 January 2019 and is no longer occurring 2015 Code
Before 1 January 2019 and is still occurring 2018 Code

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