From July 1, authorised psychiatrists will be able to prescribe MDMA and psilocybin in some circumstances. Here’s what we’re excited and concerned about.
Australians bought more than 65 million packs of paracetamol pain relief last year. TGA efforts to reduce its potential harms will need to take those who use it to manage pain into consideration.
E-cigarettes and vape products are illegally imported into Australia. Some claim not to contain nicotine, but do.
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If the crisis worsens, more people will ask, how did this happen? The answer will be simple: governments made good laws, but they did not enforce them.
The TGA gave low-dose cannabis sales without prescription the green light in February. But no product has jumped through all the regulatory hoops to market yet.
Paxlovid is one potential COVID drug for use at home. The idea is these can potentially be prescribed at the first sign of infection to prevent serious illness and death.
Regulators are currently reviewing the safety and efficacy data of the Pfizer vaccine for five to 11 year olds before deciding whether to approve its use in this age group.
The Moderna vaccine has been provisionally approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for use in Australia, with one million doses due in the second half of September, which will go to pharmacies.
Whipping cream canisters contain nitrous oxide, which some people use to get high. But going ahead with a proposal before the TGA to ban them altogether would be an overreaction.
A serious event such as a blood clot could be caused by an underlying medical condition, a medication the person was taking at the time, or some other factor unrelated to the vaccine.
Amyl nitrite, known as poppers, can now legally be sold in pharmacies. But don’t expect to see it stocked any time soon. No product has yet passed Australia’s manufacturing and testing process.
It’s not just women who are the losers following the latest TGA announcement. People with all types of medical devices need better regulatory protection.
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The proposed Australian ban of some types of breast implants is too little, too late. It also reveals regulatory failures that need to be fixed if Australian consumers are to be protected.
Professor - Emerging Technologies (Stem Cells) at The University of Melbourne and Group Leader - Stem Cell Ethics & Policy at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The University of Melbourne