Category Archives: TGA

Is the TGA out to lunch? Ken Harvey on the weight loss pill that lets you “have the cake without the calories”

February 23, 2012 – 8:48 pm

The Therapeutic Goods Administration’s response to concerns about the marketing of a weight-loss pill, which lets you “have the cake without the calories”, suggests that the many reviews and promises of reform have not resulted in real change at the much-critiqued organisation, according to Dr Ken Harvey, Adjunct Assoc Prof of Public Health at La Trobe University. [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in complementary medicines, health & medical marketing, health regulation | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

A rather large wrap of recent Croakey articles: public health, health reform, media coverage of health and more

January 11, 2012 – 10:25 am

As previously mentioned, Croakey readers are welcome to sign up for (rather irregular) summaries of posts. If you’d like to join the mailing list, please send your email or leave it below. Here is the latest compilation, covering from 6 October – December 23, 2011. The latest readership figures are now also available, showing that [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in abortion, alcohol, cancer, child health, childbirth and maternity services, climate change, complementary medicines, conflicts of interest, consumer health information, death and dying, dental care, evidence-based issues, Food, global health, health and medical research, health financing and costs, Health inequalities, health reform, health workforce, Hospitals, Indigenous health, infectious diseases, Media Doctor Australia, Medicare Locals, mental health, MyHospitals website, obesity, pain, palliative care, pharmacy, physical activity, prevention, primary health care, public health, quality and safety of health care, rural and remote health, SensaSlim, social determinants of health, social media and healthcare, The Conversation, tobacco control, vaccination, vaccines, WHO | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

The latest wrap of health and medical reading from The Conversation

December 23, 2011 – 9:05 am

Below is the final wrap for this year of health and medical reading at The Conversation. Thanks to Froncesca Jackson-Webb and Reema Rattan for compiling these wraps for Croakey readers. Vaccinations in the news in 2011 By Dr Julie Leask, National Centre for Immunisation Research & Surveillance, a conjoint Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, University [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in child health, childbirth and maternity services, Food, health and medical education, Health inequalities, Indigenous health, National Preventive Health Agency, public health, The Conversation, tobacco control, vaccination | Comments (2)

The Ministerial reshuffle and health: plus analysis of Roxon’s tenure and advice to Plibersek

December 13, 2011 – 1:18 pm

Much of the post-shuffle focus in health has been on the new Minister, Tanya Plibersek (The Australian has her prioritising dental reform, while the Sydney Morning Herald has her bedding down the health reform agenda). But let’s not forget that many portfolios are important for health (some of which are mentioned at the bottom of [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in cancer, child health, childbirth and maternity services, dental care, disabilities, e-health, education, general practice, health reform, Indigenous health, Medicare Locals, mental health, NHMRC, pharmacy, prevention, primary health care, private health insurance, public health, social determinants of health, tobacco control | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)

Some VERY interesting reading: on the TGA, Ken Harvey, and pertinent questions for public health advocates

December 8, 2011 – 7:36 pm

Thanks to Australian Doctor for sharing a most informative Ministerial brief on the Government’s response to recent reviews recommending reforms of the TGA (it can be downloaded here, and is worth reading for many reasons, not least for the insights it gives into government processes and communications, as well as regulatory complexities and challenges). Over [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in complementary medicines, consumer health information, public health, SensaSlim | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

Statement from Australian Skeptics on the Ken Harvey and SensaSlim cases

October 14, 2011 – 11:52 am

As previously mentioned, Australian Skeptics launched a fund-raising drive earlier this year to help public health advocate Dr Ken Harvey cover legal costs arising from action by SensaSlim Australia. An update comes from this press release: Australian Skeptics are pleased to announce that some hundreds of members of the skeptical community have banded together to [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in complementary medicines, consumer health information, legal issues, public health | Tagged , , | Comments (5)

Frustrated by TGA? Take a (herbal) chill pill.

September 19, 2011 – 9:30 pm

Consumers have been campaigning for better regulation and monitoring of complementary medicines for some time. Dr Michael Vagg, Clinical Senior Lecturer at Deakin University School of Medicine & Pain Specialist at Barwon Health, adds his voice to the growing concerns about the widespread lack of compliance by the manufacturers of complementary medicines with Australian regulatory [...]

By Jennifer Doggett | Also posted in adverse events, complementary medicines, The Conversation | Comments (0)

A new guide to effective risk communication, one of the “greatest challenges” in public health

August 20, 2011 – 2:38 pm

(Apologies readers for glitches with punctuation; there is a gremlin at play in the system) Risk communication is one of the greatest challenges facing any public health agency; done badly it can cost lives, money, and reputations. That’s according to a new guide released by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and US Department of [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in cancer, consumer health information, evidence-based issues, health literacy, health regulation, Media-related issues, quality and safety of health care | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off

The latest health & medical reading from The Conversation

July 29, 2011 – 4:03 pm

Thanks to Froncesca Jackson-Webb, for providing this update of the latest health and medical reading at The Conversation. From scraping by to pizza and pie: how protein price drives obesity By Rob Brooks, Professor of Evolutionary Ecology; Director, Evolution & Ecology Research Centre at the University of NSW For the first time ever, the number [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in child health, complementary medicines, Food, global health, Government 2.0, Health inequalities, health regulation, mental health, physical activity, The Conversation | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Some reaction to the transparency review of the TGA

July 20, 2011 – 9:18 pm

As previously reported, a review released today makes wide-ranging recommendations for improving the transparency and responsiveness of the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Below is some reaction. Dr Ken Harvey, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, School of Public Health at La Trobe University, was the CHOICE consumer representative for the review. He writes: During the consultations, and in some [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in complementary medicines, consumer health information, health regulation | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)