Author Archives: Dr Ken Harvey

About Dr Ken Harvey

Public Health Physician, Medical activitist

COVID-19 Vaccines: Talks to U3A Melbourne City

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Dr Ken Harvey

COVID-19 Vaccines – Topics: The Immune System How vaccines work Three ways to make vaccines How COVID-19 vaccines compare Side effects Australian roll-out, 2021 Administration and precautions Additional shots for healthy ageing Resource links This talk can be downloaded as … Continue reading →

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Complementary medicines weight loss complaints submitted to the TGA in 2018-2019. Follow-up in February 2021.

Posted on February 17, 2021 by Dr Ken Harvey

From July 2018 to July 2019, complaints about a convenience sample of twenty-one complementary medicine weight loss products, by eight sponsors, advertised on 140 different Internet sites (cases) were submitted to the TGA. FatBlaster products sponsored by Cat Media (Naturopathica) … Continue reading →

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Unnecessary, expensive and potentially dangerous supplements consumed by older Australians

Posted on February 2, 2021 by Dr Ken Harvey

A new study found almost 75% of older Australians take at least one type of dietary supplement or complementary medicine, most of which are not recommended by current medical opinion. The researchers said that the widespread use of complementary medicine … Continue reading →

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Resignation from TGACC

Posted on November 18, 2020 by Dr Ken Harvey

My resignation from the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Consultative Committee (TGACC) was precipitated by the non-response of Adj Professor John Skerritt, Deputy Secretary, Health Products Regulation Group, Department of Health, to long-standing issues raised yet again at the Skepticon 2020 regulatory … Continue reading →

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Independent Review of the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Framework: Recommendations

Posted on August 11, 2020 by Dr Ken Harvey

In 2018, the Hon Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health, committed to a review of the impact of the new therapeutic goods advertising measures within two years from the commencement of the changes to the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 to … Continue reading →

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Complementary medicine weight loss products complaints submitted to the TGA in 2018-2019. Follow-up July 2020

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Dr Ken Harvey

This research was conducted by a team of Monash University BSc students on a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placement, supervised by Assoc Prof Ken Harvey. The team reviewed the following complaints submitted on: 6 July 2018, Pharmacare Laboratories FatBlaster FatMagnet products, … Continue reading →

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Towards independence from commercial interests in health

Posted on July 1, 2020 by Dr Ken Harvey

An important collection of resources from the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Growing evidence shows that extensive financial relationships between industry and healthcare decision makers distort scientific research, medical education and the practice of medicine. The biggest problem is that industry … Continue reading →

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TGA stakeholder survey 2019

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Dr Ken Harvey

Perceptions of the regulation of complementary medicines: GPs & consumers This 2019 survey follows the first TGA (2018) survey of consumer perceptions about the regulation of complementary medicines. GPs were not surveyed in 2018. Pharmacists have yet to be surveyed. … Continue reading →

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The TGA and COVID-19: Starting to use its compliance teeth!

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Dr Ken Harvey

Significant changes were made to the advertising framework of therapeutic goods during 2018-19. These included the TGA taking over the advertising complaint system, an updated, legally enforceable, advertising Code and stronger investigative and compliance powers. Yet the TGA initially appeared … Continue reading →

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COVID-19 Scams – ABC update on MMSAustralia

Posted on May 6, 2020 by Dr Ken Harvey

On 5 May 2020, ABC 7:30 (Grace Tobin) reported on the ‘Genesis II Church of Health and Healing’. The Australian branch, MMSAustralia.com.au currently promotes and sells Master Mineral Solution (MMS) – chlorine dioxide (a bleach) as a ‘sacrament of the Church’. … Continue reading →

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