Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Seselja for his question and for his interest in this matter. I am pleased to inform the Senate that the government has announced an expert review of medicines and medical devices. Emeritus Professor Lloyd Sansom AO will chair the expert review panel. Professor Samson has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical sector. He played a major role in the development of Australia's National Medicines Policy and is a former longstanding chair of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee. He will be joined on the panel by Mr Will Delaat AM and Professor John Horvath AO. The review will examine Australia's regulatory framework for therapeutic goods which is administered by the Therapeutic Goods Administration in order to identify opportunities to modernise regulations, to ensure Australians can access the latest treatments in a timely manner and areas of outdated or irrelevant regulation which have built up over time and need to be streamlined.

This review complements the government's industry innovation and competitiveness agenda. It is a key step in efforts to remove ineffective regulation and encourage greater competition and innovation in the medicines and medical devices sectors.

Medical technology is constantly evolving and Australia needs a modern regulatory framework to ensure consumers can access new technologies without unnecessary delays. This review will in in way jeopardise the safety and quality of medicines and medical devices marketed in Australia. Consumer protections are paramount.

The expert panel recently released a discussion paper to inform the public consultation process, and I encourage all stakeholders to contribute their ideas. The panel will provide recommendations for prescription and over-the-counter medicines as well as medical devices by 31 March 2015, and opportunities in the complementary medicines sector will be reported during the second quarter of 2015.