Australia introduces new bill for strengthened health regulations

The bill will allow the new Health Regulator to oversee key areas within the sector.

The Australian government has introduced the Health Legislation Amendment (Regulatory Reform) Bill to enable stronger compliance and enforcement powers for the newly established Health Regulator.

One of the bill’s provisions allows the Health Regulator authority over SafeScript, a clinical decision-support tool designed to mitigate the risk of accidental prescription drug overdoses.

The body is also given the ability to request information and issue improvement and infringement notices to private hospitals and day procedure centres to ensure compliance with safety regulations.

Moreover, the reform involves transferring the regulation of assisted reproductive treatment (ART), aligning with recommendations from the Review of Assisted Reproductive Treatment.

According to the government, this consolidation aims to simplify access to information from donor conception registers and reduce barriers and delays associated with obtaining specimens from interstate or overseas, whilst maintaining robust safeguards.