Submissions (2022)

Date Description Download
06/12/2022 Statement on Medicare Fraud and MBS Funding
I write this in response to the recent series of in-depth articles that has raised public awareness of the rorting and waste affecting Medicare expenditure. This has amounted to an estimated 30% of the annual Medicare budget and translates to some $8 billion of taxpayers’ money lost each year through fraud, errors and waste。		 Statement on Medicare Fraud and MBS Funding
11/03/2022 FCMA feedback for consultation of revised Guidelines on Infection prevention and control for acupuncture and related practices.
The short-sleeved clothing when delivering patient care is for hospital setting based on the Australian guidelines for the prevention and control of infection in healthcare 2019 (Australian Guidelines). There is no evidence to support this concept should be extended to acupuncture practice in which most of the practices are office-based and the risk of infection is not comparable between hospital and office-based setting. In addition, the short-sleeved clothing requirement is only voluntary which can be compromised by pushing back the long sleeved clothing securely in the Australian Guidelines. (“It is also encouraged that health care workers should wear short-sleeved clothing when delivering patient care.” “When not engaged in patient care, some staff members may wish to cover their forearms due to religious, cultural or safety reasons. These staff must ensure they are wearing clothing with sleeves which can be pushed back securely when they are engaged in direct patient care activity”. Page 33), but the draft revised guidelines have changed it to one of the mandatory standards. We do not see any rationale for this change and strongly do not believe to wear short-sleeved clothing when practising acupuncture in office-based setting is practical or necessary and hope the Board can reset its expectation in consistency with the Australian Guidelines.		 Feedback for infection control of acupuncture
11/03/2022 FCMA feedback for consultation of revised Guidelines for safe Chinese herbal medicine practice.
The guidelines have been specific and the requirements for patient records, prescriptions and safety in dispensation of formulas are comprehensive. However, we are concerned changing the term of Chinese herbal medicines to Medicines or herbal ingredients to Medicinal ingredients from the current guidelines. We acknowledge that Chinese herbal medicines are parts of the medicines defined by the draft revised guidelines.		 Feedback for guidelines of safe practice