Advocacy
There are many critical issues specific to dermatology, with implications for Australian health policy, service delivery and clinical practice. As the leading authority in dermatology, the College is in a unique position to advocate for patients, the community and the profession on skin health and health policy issues.
The College provides a source of expertise and advice to Federal and State/Territory governments, health departments and national regulatory authorities and agencies.
The College regularly provides advice and input to government via submissions to consultations and inquiries.
Many Fellows represent the College and the dermatology profession on government advisory committees and taskforces, providing policy advice to bodies such as the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Review, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and the Australian Radiation and Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA).
Our advocacy priorities include:
- Medicare Benefits Schedule Review
- Dermatology workforce and training
- Rural health and teledermatology
- Skin cancer – standards and models of care
- Standards and regulation for lasers and cosmetic procedures
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
Selected policy and parliamentary inquiry submissions
2021
- Therapeutic Goods Administration – Obstacles and incentives to repurposing medicines
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Treasury – ACD 2021-22 Pre-Budget Submission
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2020
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- NSW Parliament – Inquiry into Health Outcomes and Access to Health and Hospital Services in Rural, Regional and Remote NSW
- Department of Health – National Preventive Health Strategy
- Therapeutic Goods Administration – Proposed amendments to the Poisons Standard: Adapalene
2019
- House of Representatives – Inquiry into Regional Australia
- Department of Industry, Innovation and Science – Artificial Intelligence: Australia’s Ethics Framework
- Therapeutic Goods Administration – Consultation on proposed amendments to the Poisons Standard: Finasteride and Sanguarine
- Department of Health – MBS Review: Nurse Practitioner Reference Group submission
- Therapeutic Goods Administration – Proposed amendments to the Poisons Standard: Mometasone
2018
- Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme – Post-market review of biologics for severe chronic plaque psoriasis
- NSW Parliament – NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into cosmetic health service complaints
- Private Health Ministerial Advisory Committee: Exposure Draft – Private Health Insurance (Reforms) Amendment Rules 2018
- Private Health Ministerial Advisory Committee – Draft standard clinical definitions for private health insurance hospital treatment policies
- Pharmaceutic Benefits Advisory Committee – PD-1 and PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapies: options for subsidy consideration for multiple cancer types
- Therapeutic Goods Administration – Draft Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code 2018 and associated guidelines
2017
- COAG Health Council – Independent Review of Accreditation Systems within the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) for health professions
- Minister for Veterans Affairs – Claiming for skin cancer services for Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) White Card holders
- Department of Health – Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) skin services review
- Department of Health – Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Post-market review of biologics for severe chronic plaque psoriasis
- Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) – Changes to accessing unapproved therapeutic goods through the Authorised Prescriber and Special Access Schemes
- Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) – Options for the future regulation of “low risk” products
2016
- Senate Community Affairs References Committee – Senate Inquiry into Lyme-like illness
- Department of Health – Proposed changes to Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) skin surgery item numbers and private hospital theatre and accommodation banding designation
- Medical Board of Australia and the Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Authority (AHPRA) – Independent review of patient chaperones
- National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) – Structural Review of NHMRC’s Grant Program
- National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) – Research priorities in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
- Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) – Use of autologous cell and tissue products
2015
- ARPANSA – Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement: Use of Intense Pulsed Light sources (IPLs) and lasers for cosmetic or beauty therapy
- Medical Board of Australia – Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement: Cosmetic medical and surgical procedures provided by medical practitioners
- Department of Health – Photodynamic therapy for the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer
2014
- House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health – Inquiry into skin cancer in Australia
- Department of Health – Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Drug Utilisation Sub-Committee: use of biological medicines for psoriasis on the PBS
