Monthly Archives: October 2018

Lighter Footprints Climate Change Forum: Hawthorn Arts Centre 30/10/18

Posted on October 31, 2018 by Dr Ken Harvey

Excellent meeting with over 400 people attending. Many suggestions for action. See also: http://www.lighterfootprints.org/ and https://www.repowervic.org.au by

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Letter to The Age 30/10/18: Probiotic Doubts (published)

Posted on October 30, 2018 by Dr Ken Harvey

I was disappointed to see that The Age published a full page, gushingly enthusiastic article about a probiotic product alleged to relieve and prevent mastitis (“Mums clamour for Aussie breast feeding probiotic“, 27/10). The article failed to report the dubious … Continue reading →

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TGA Complaint Outcomes: Pharmacare Laboratories Ease-a-cold products

Posted on October 25, 2018 by Dr Ken Harvey

On 5 July 2018 I complained to the TGA about the promotion of Pharmacare Laboratories Ease-a-cold products (TGA reference AL-B81GN1V3/2018). The TGA have now published the outcome of this complaint noting that in all cases that a breach was found, … Continue reading →

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AHPRA to conduct pilot audit on advertising compliance in early 2019

Posted on October 19, 2018 by Dr Ken Harvey

A pilot audit to check health practitioner compliance with advertising requirements will be conducted by AHPRA in early 2019. https://www.chinesemedicineboard.gov.au/News/Newsletters/October-2018.aspx The pilot audit has been modelled on the well established approach to auditing compliance with core registration standards and involves … Continue reading →

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Therapeutic Goods Advertising Consultative Committee, First meeting today

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Dr Ken Harvey

This committee has replaced the now abolished Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code Council. Choice (Australian Consumers’ Association) was a member of previous Code Council (and Complaint Resolution Panel). No doubt the failure of the TGA to invite Choice to this new … Continue reading →

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TGA Consultation: Proposed therapeutic goods advertising code guidance

Posted on October 8, 2018 by Dr Ken Harvey

This submission by Alanna Rottler, Mal Vickers and myself  has also has been endorsed by Friends of Science in Medicine. Our previous submissions to TGA consultations have noted that many recommendations made by civil society had been ignored. Most have … Continue reading →

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Natural health products the largest selling OTC medicines in 2015–16

Posted on October 5, 2018 by Dr Ken Harvey

From Australia’s health 2018 (full publication; 4 June 2018 edition); see also: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-03/chart-of-the-day-natural-therapies-vitamins/10328514 These results reflect the large amount of money spent on marketing these products (Swisse $50 million per annum) and the failure of the regulator (the TGA) to act on … Continue reading →

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