Australian Regulators Warn of Risky Medical Practices

Regulators in Australia are raising concerns about new healthcare services that prioritize profit over patient well-being. The Medical, Nursing and Midwifery Boards, Pharmacy Board, and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) issued a joint statement highlighting these practices, particularly those that:

• Focus on a single condition and medication: These services may treat patients for a specific issue and prescribe a predetermined medication without proper assessment.
• Rely heavily on telemedicine or algorithm-based prescribing: While telehealth is supported, high-volume consultations or automated prescribing raise concerns about thorough patient evaluation.
• Directly supply unapproved medications: This practice bypasses proper safety checks and could expose patients to potentially harmful drugs.

Examples include services capitalizing on the growing demand for:

• Medicinal cannabis
• Bulk-produced compounded medicines
• Semaglutide and related products (soon to be banned)

The message to healthcare professionals is clear: Their responsibilities for safe and appropriate care remain paramount, regardless of the business model. Ahpra is establishing a new unit to monitor practitioners who may be neglecting their ethical obligations.

Ahpra CEO Martin Fletcher emphasizes the importance of the patient-practitioner relationship. He stresses that good prescribing practices must prioritize both patient safety and access to necessary medications.

Consumers are also urged to be cautious: Be aware of services that seem to prioritize profit over your health.

The takeaway: New healthcare models can be beneficial, but ensuring patient safety and ethical practices remains a top priority for Australian regulators.