The First Assistant Secretary, Medicines Regulation Division – Nick Henderson has invited the RACP to advise the TGA on its future Medicines Shortage Action Group. This follows sustained advocacy and strong engagement with the TGA on medicines shortages through 2024 (PDF) and 2025 (PDF).

3 proxy representatives are being sought for this opportunity to support and enhance the RACP’s contribution to the TGA and provide relevant perspectives to the Medicines Shortages Action Group. This new strategic action group will interface with the TGA’s existing issue-specific Medicine Shortages Action Groups and its Medicine Availability Working Group. Medicines Shortages Action Group will be chaired by the First Assistant Secretary, Medicines Regulation Division, TGA.

Proxy representatives to the Medicines Shortages Action Group will work closely with the College’s Policy & Advocacy team to support implementation of the TGA’s Medicines Shortage Reform Program, aiming to enhance TGA monitoring, management of impacts and communication about medicine shortages and discontinuations in Australia. Key working objectives will be to: 

• update the TGA’s medicine shortages framework to better meet public information needs
• identify critical data and digital infrastructure improvements
• support better access to shortages information for health professionals
• better sponsor predictions on medicine demand and shortages.

The meeting schedule will be confirmed by the TGA. All meetings will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams. 

Medicine shortages continue to impact many College members and specialties as well as patient groups and as such subspecialty diversity is encouraged for this opportunity. Interested members are encouraged to address the eligibility criterion in the expression of interest form: please comment on how your expertise, knowledge, qualifications, skill, experience, attributes, and availability would support the RACP to advocate with impact on the TGA Medicines Supply Action Group.

Assessment criteria

• commitment to advancing the College’s policy positions and advocacy goals on medicines shortages
• understanding of the impacts of medicines shortages and discontinuations, whether at the system, physician, practice or patient level, in a specific RACP subspecialty or more broadly
• demonstrated experience in addressing medicines shortages or scarcity issues in clinical practice
• availability to participate in virtual meetings (sometimes at short notice) on a pro bono basis over a medium term
• willingness to collaborate, engage and debrief with the RACP Policy & Advocacy team and other appointed College representatives on the Medicines Shortages Action Group to strengthen College input and impact

Appointed representatives will also be required to sign Australian Federal Government Deed Polls for Conflicts of Interest and Confidentiality as a condition of participation.

Apply

Complete the expression of interest form (DOC) and send your CV and documents to policy@racp.edu.au.

Contact Peter Lalli, Senior Policy & Advocacy Officer, via policy@racp.edu.au for any questions or follow-ups.