Therapeutics

Medicines make an essential contribution to the health of the community. However, rapidly rising drug budgets have caused governments to seek ways of ensuring this expenditure results in value for money. The purpose of Therapeutics RACP (TRACP) Expert Advisory Group is to:

• Strengthen the capacity of the College to contribute to the development of Therapeutic policy in Australia and New Zealand.
• Facilitate the Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) throughout the College and its training and education programs.
• Develop and maintain links with appropriate organisations, agencies and committees both internal and external to the College.

TRACP is looking at eight areas within therapeutics as follows:

• Therapeutics policy - addressing emerging issues
• QUM education and training
• Communications
• Therapeutics expert advice
• Vaccines, highly-specialised and orphan drugs
• Prescribing in children
• Prescribing in the elderly
• Medical procedures and devices
• Complementary Medicines

Latest news  

National Prescribing Curriculum - CPD eLearning Modules

The NPS modules are now available here.

CPD eLearning Modules

They will be maintained and evaluated by the National Prescribing Service (NPS).

The Quality Use of Medicines is a national framework contained in the National Medicines Policy and has been used as the principle base for the development of all the modules. The scoping exercise highlighted the importance of having a link to these modules in almost every area of Basic Training and will be useful for CPD.

Featuring 25 modules covering a range of clinical areas from cardiology to endocrinology to psychiatry, the modules were developed by the National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) in collaboration with Australian medical schools and the Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists (ASCEPT).

Please click here for further information.

Policies  

The National Strategy for Quality Use of Medicines:

National Medicines Policy (PDF: 164KB)

"Plain English" versions of core documents on the National Strategy for the Quality Use of Medicines can be found at the National Medicines Policy website

Policies and Research

• The Use of Sustained Release Formulations of Naltrexone in Opioid Dependence Position Statement - April 2013 (PDF: 227KB)
• Study to determine access and use of computers and electronic applications by physicians (PDF: 600KB)
• Position Statement: Strategies to support the recall of drugs (PDF: 43.8KB)
• Guiding Principles for medication management in the community (PDF: 270KB)

Submissions

• Rescheduling of Benzodiazepines from Schedule 4 to Schedule 8  - February 2012
• Post Market Review of Products Used in the Management of Diabetes - November 2012
• Review of Drugs for the Doctors Bag - November 2012
• NHMRC public consultation: Ethical Review of Quality Improvement Activities in Health Services - November 2012
• Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) Labelling Review - August 2012
• Health Workforce Australia (HWA) Review of the Health Professionals Prescribing Pathway - June 2012
• Review of anticoagulation therapies in atrial fibrillation - February 2012
• Medication Management in Residential Aged Care Facilities project - Australia's Health - Aug 2011
• Submission to the Review of the Existing Supply and Remuneration Arrangements for Drugs Listed Under Section 100 of the National Health Act 1953 - Oct 2009 (PDF: 109KB)
• Therapeutic Goods Administration re. Levels and Kinds of Evidence for Listed Medicines with Indications and Claims for Weight Loss - April 2009 (PDF: 98KB)
• Therapeutic Goods Administration re. Use of Third Party Conformity Assessment Bodies for Medical Devices Supplied in Australia - March 2009 (PDF: 46KB)
• Dept. of Environment and Climate Change NSW re. Regulation on the Protection of the Environment Operations (Clean Air) Amendment (Vapour Recovery) Regulation 2009 - Feb 2009 (PDF: 43KB)
• Submission to Therapeutics Goods Administration re. consultation on the Regulation of Hypoxic Therapy and Altitude training devices (Hypoxicators) in Australia - Sep 2008 (PDF: 26KB)
• Comments on the Senate Inquiry to the National Health Amendment (Pharmaceutical and Other Benefits - Cost Recovery) Bill 2008 - July 2008 (PDF: 40KB)
• Comments to Theraputic Goods Administration re. Prescription of isotretinoin to women of child-bearing age - May 2008 (PDF: 130KB)

New Zealand Submissions

• Proposed Pharmacist Prescriber Scope of Practice - July 2010 (PDF: 69.4KB)
• Good Prescribing Practice and Related Statements (New Zealand) - August 2009 (PDF: 337KB)
• Role of Consumer Advisory Commitee on Pharmac (New Zealand) - June 09 (PDF 321KB)

Please contact the Policy and Advocacy Unit for further information: policy@racp.edu.au.