On 18 March 2020, the Review of the TGA Advertising Framework held a consultation with the consumer members of the TGACC. This was led by Rosemary Sinclair AM and involved Protiviti consultants, TGA staff and consumer rerpresentatives from Choice, Consumers Health Forum, Country Women’s Association of Australia and the National Rural Health Alliance.
Objective
The purpose of the discussion was to gain consumer stakeholder feedback for the Independent Review of TGA Advertising Framework as included in the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (Cth). In particular, the effectiveness of the advertising reforms from the MMDR Review, and other initiatives announced by the Minister in February 2018. For background see: ‘Independent review: Therapeutic goods advertising‘.
Agenda items
1 a) Code Amendments
Do you consider that the changes to the Code have: increased clarity and objectivity to support compliance and enforcement powers of the TGA; and improved consistency between the requirements for medicines and medical devices?
1 b) TGA as the Single Body for Complaints Handling
What are your views on the impact and effectiveness of the TGA as the single body responsible for implementing a complaints management process about the advertising of therapeutic goods to the public?
1 c) Broadened Sanctions and Penalties
What are your views on the impact and effectiveness of the broadened sanctions and penalties to deter inappropriate and misleading advertising of therapeutic goods?
2 a) Industry and Consumer Education Program
What are your views on the impact associated with the industry and consumer education program, including the educational material currently available through the advertising hub?
2 b) Performance Measures for Complaints Handling
Do you consider that the public performance measures for advertising complaints management are fit for purpose?
2 c) Stakeholder Engagement and the TGACC
What are your views on the impact of stakeholder engagement activities on therapeutic goods advertising with a particular focus on the effectiveness of the TGACC?
My notes (brief responses to the questoins above) are available here. See also:
- https://www.medreach.com.au/complementary-medicines-exporting-white-australia-policy/
- https://www.medreach.com.au/tga-therapeutic-goods-advertising-compliance-2018-19-annual-report-comments/
- https://www.medreach.com.au/multiple-breaches-of-the-therapeutic-goods-advertising-code-by-companies-advertising-weight-loss-products/
- https://www.medreach.com.au/more-complaints-to-tga-about-illegal-body-building-and-weight-loss-supplements/
- https://www.medreach.com.au/tga-advertising-system-concerns-response-from-tga/
The closing date for written feedback on the Review is Wednesday 22 April 2020. If consumers wish additional points to be made before that date please send them to me, either as comments to this post or by email to ken.harvey@medreach.com.au
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