Policy and Advocacy Library
The library is the culmination of the collaborative work of RACP members and comprises a comprehensive range of evidence-based, published RACP position statements, policies and submissions.
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Topic
Informed financial consent
Description
The College's submission on IFC backs education, guidance and voluntary compliance over legislative change as the most pragmatic approach to IFC. It argues that both practitioners and patients need clear guidance and practical implementation tools before regulators reach for enforcement.
Topic
Occupational and environmental health
Description
AFOEM contributed expert feedback to the Queensland review, highlighting the vital role of occupational and environmental physicians in workers’ compensation outcomes. Key recommendations were to better recognise cumulative and long-latency work-related conditions, update permanent impairment assessment guidelines and accreditation processes, and establish a strong clinical governance framework.
Description
Our comment on the Therapeutic Goods Amendment (Medicines Shortages and Other Measures) Bill 2026 strongly supports its proposals for transparency and earlier notice of medicine shortages and discontinuations from medicine sponsors. These reforms will help physicians make informed prescribing decisions, improve care coordination across the health system and give patients greater certainty of supply. We also call for further reforms to better manage Australia's medicines supply.
Description
Our submission to the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 welcomes the Bill as a good first step, but calls for a clearer path to ending all gambling advertising, a ban on inducements like bonus bets, and stronger protections to reduce harm for people and their families.
Description
The RACP submission sets out key priorities across community inclusion, health and wellbeing, safety and opportunity, alongside system-wide reforms to help deliver better outcomes for Victorians.
Description
The RACP submission highlights priorities across education, wellbeing, safety, community connection and participation. The submission sets out recommendations to improve outcomes for children and young people throughout NSW.
Description
The RACP provided feedback to the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) on its draft professional standards for Physician Associates (PAs). The RACP emphasised the importance of patient safety and the need for robust standards that reflect the unique context of Aotearoa New Zealand’s health system. We also expressed disappointment with the Minister of Health’s decision to retain the title of “Physician Associate”, which may create confusion for patients and the wider public.
Description
The RACP submission responds to the Department’s consultation on Sharing by Default for online prescribing to My Health Record (MHR). It supports the reform but calls for clarity on how requirements apply to physicians using mixed digital modalities, mandatory structured medicines information, no exemptions for direct-to-consumer models, notification of regular prescribers for high-risk prescriptions, clearer privacy/liability guidance alongside improved MHR usability and specialist incentives.
Topic
Occupational and environmental health
Description
The National Transport Commission (NTC) undertook Phase 1 of its review of the Assessing Fitness to Drive (AFTD) Standards (2022). Fitness to drive assessments are a key medical service and contribute to patient and road safety. Physicians from Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Rehabilitation Medicine, Addiction Medicine and General Medicine provided a list of issues for the next edition of the Standards.
Published in
SA, Australia
Description
The RACP recommends strengthening South Australia’s Strategic Plan for Preventive Health Action 2026–2034 by building a sustainable physician and public health workforce, increasing and transparently monitoring preventive health investment, strengthening prevention across the life course, addressing health inequities, integrating prevention into healthcare settings, tackling social determinants of health, and embedding health considerations across government policy and planning.
