Regulatory reform for therapeutic goods
The Government’s response to a series of recent reviews of the regulatory framework for therapeutic goods will deliver some much-needed reform.
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Health
The health system needs a Gonski
The Gonski report on education focuses on outcomes. It places students at the centre of the system, considers how best they learn and achieve and asks how the system can best service the needs of students. Consumer Health Forum’s Carol Bennett wants this approach applied to health funding.
Read More The health system needs a Gonski
Standards update: Electronic health data
Electronic health records involve the systematic electronic collection of health information previously held on paper about individual patients or populations, such as information about the physical or and mental health of an individual or provision of health services.
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Consumer input in Medicines Australia’s code of conduct review
Ken Harvey presents a report from a recent workshop hosted by the pharmaceutical industry body for public input in their code of conduct review.
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Opening Pandora’s box: secret treaty threatens human rights
The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is a controversial, secretly negotiated, trade agreement designed to provide for stronger enforcement of intellectual property rights. But there has been no independent analysis of the impact of the treaty in Australia upon economics, human rights or health care.
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eHealth proposals paper released
The Department of Health and Ageing has released the Proposals for Regulations and Rules (proposals paper) for the eHealth records program.
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Consumer champion’s long fight for better use of medicines
Dr Ken Harvey has been chosen as Choice’s consumer champion for his work on consumer rights and therapeutic goods, especially “complementary” medicines.
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50 years of consumer rights – how far have we come?
Consumer advocate Jenni Mack documents the highs and lows of 150 years of consumer activism, and considers where to next for consumer advocacy.
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SensaSlim banned after medico’s exposure of bogus scientific claims
The SensaSlim “dieter’s dream” oral spray has been ordered off the market. Effective from December 1, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) order prohibits “the importing into, exporting from, Australia and the manufacturing or supply of the product in Australia, or the advertising of the product.”
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National Enabling Technologies Strategy: A national approach
Elaine Attwood photo
Enabling technologies have the potential to underpin consumer benefits in areas such as medical treatments, energy generation and environmental remediation. But they may also pose new health, safety and environmental risks, CFA is the Council established to provide advice to government on future directions of their strategy on enabling technologies.
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Consumers forgotten in setting health standards
Professor Roger Clarke is upset that consumer have yet again been left out of processes to develop eHealth standards.
Read More Consumers forgotten in setting health standards