Posted in CEO Updates

National Oral Health Plan Workshops

On 3-4 December, Dr Sarah Raphael, ADIA Director of Policy and Education was among 28 key stakeholders who attended the co-design development workshops for the next National Oral Health Plan 2015-2034 (NOHP) in Canberra.

The Commonwealth Department of Health (the Department) has established a Governance Group to lead and oversee the development of the next NOHP, which includes representation from all public oral health jurisdictions and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

The role of the NOHP Governance Group is to lead the development of key focus areas and priorities of the NOHP, a performance monitoring plan to track the implementation and outcomes and an on-going governance mechanism to track the achievement and progress of the NOHP strategic objectives and goals. As part of this role, the Governance Group have assembled a NOHP Stakeholder Group.
 

The Stakeholder Group

The stakeholder group is tasked with reviewing the previous NOHP and collaboratively developing key priorities for the next NOHP. This group includes:

• ADIA
• Professional associations including Aust Dental Assoc (ADA), Aust Dental and Oral Health Therapists Association (ADOHTA), Dental Hygienists Assoc of Aust (DHAA), Aust Dental Prosthetists Assoc (ADPA), Dental Assistants Professional Assoc (DAPA) , Aust and NZ Academy of Special Needs Dentistry (ANZASND) and the Indigenous Dental Assoc Australia (IDAA)
• Australian Council of Dental Schools
• Aust Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra), the Dental Board of Australia (DBA) and the Australian Dental Council (ADC)
• National Oral Health Alliance (NOHA), Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA), Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF), Council on the Ageing (COTA)

During the first two workshops, the Stakeholder Group facilitated by HealthConsult, provided guidance for the development of the next NOHP. Many parts of the previous NOHP remain appropriate such as the aim to target improved oral health outcomes by addressing the disparities in access to oral healthcare, especially among identified priority populations including people who are socially disadvantaged or on low incomes, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people living in rural and remote areas and people with additional or specialised healthcare needs.
 

ADIA wins on the board

Membership of the NOHP stakeholder group has provided ADIA with two significant wins: Firstly, it was the first time that ADIA took a seat at the table as we were not represented in the development of Healthy Mouths, Health Lives: Australia’s National Oral Health Plan 2015-2024 or previous plans. This has resulted from ADIA’ s strategic stakeholder relationship plan building strong ties with policymakers, the Department and other key health organisations.

Secondly, this opportunity has provided the platform to profile the use of innovative oral health technology to reform oral health service provision into the future. Dr Raphael highlighted with the group, the important place for technology and informatics in enabling improvements in oral health outcomes in Australia over the next decade.

The final workshop, scheduled for March 2025 will then focus on the review and refinement of the draft NOPH that is being developed by the Department, following these first two workshops. Final approval of the NOHP will ultimately be from the Health Ministers’ Meeting.   

We will keep you informed of the progress over the coming months. If you would like to provide feedback or find out more about the NOHP or other ADIA advocacy initiatives, please contact us at advocacy@adia.org.au or call Dr Sarah Raphael on 02 8399 8707.

Wishing you a safe and happy festive season!

Recently, we invited members to express their interest in serving on the ADIA National Board, and were pleased to receive strong interest from across our membership.

Following yesterday's AGM, I am delighted to announce the re-election of Ryan Green as ADIA President. His ongoing leadership will be instrumental as we continue to advance our strategic priorities and address the evolving needs of our industry.

I am also pleased to welcome three new Board Directors: Hayley Avery, CEO,  STS Group, who will serve as Vice President; Michael Fahey, General Manager Commercial Dental at Henry Schein; and Michelle Gianferrari, GAICD, Prime Practice.

Finally, I extend my gratitude to retiring Board Directors Craig Young, Jane Miller, and Jason Roberts for their service. 

The State Chapter Elections are now complete. I am pleased to announce the leadership across Australia for ADIA is as follows:

Representing the State Chapter Presidents as a Board Director will be Hayley Avery. 

The ADIA technical team have been actively engaged in several key projects with the TGA in the past few months. There are multiple areas where the TGA is seeking feedback from industry to ensure that the changes and developments they are making are fit-for-purpose and avoid unintended consequences.

ADIA relies on member feedback to ensure that the submissions we make cover all aspects of concern, so please join us at the next Technical Forum!

The Australian Government recently announced a significant program of reform to address the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) across multiple sectors including healthcare. The TGA have responsibility for conducting a review of the existing regulatory legislation of therapeutic goods involving AI, to identify gaps and opportunities and make recommendations for reform. Click here to read more about how the TGA regulates AI Medical Devices.

Software as a Medical Device (SaMD)

The TGA has formed a Technical Reference Group for SaMD and AI. Information about the group and its membership is available here.

Boundary products

ADIA made a submission to the TGA on Boundary Products on 6 August 2024. Most boundary products from the dental industry (toothpastes and dentifrices) can be readily categorised as Medicines or Medical Devices by the principal intended action. ADIA has recommended that the Boundary Product category for toothpastes and dentifrices is not required. Following this recent consultation, TGA is holding workshops to engage with stakeholders. If you have Boundary Products and are concerned about this consultation, please contact ADIA at advocacy@adia.org.au to discuss any issues.

Exempt Medical Devices and Other Therapeutic Goods

The TGA is proposing further changes to the regulation of Exempt Medical Devices (EMDs) and Other Therapeutic Goods (OTGs) that have significant implications for the dental industry. The proposals include potential notification, publication of information and/or provision of samples to the TGA for EMDs and OTGs. Introduction of this regulation would impose significant administrative and financial burdens on the sponsors of these types of products. On 7 June 2024, ADIA made a strong submission, arguing that for EMDs manufactured in Australia at the direction of Ahpra-registered health practitioners using raw materials that are included in the ARTG, the proposed regulations would duplicate existing frameworks and lead to significant unintended consequences, including increased costs and reduced access to EMDs for consumers. The consultation process is ongoing and ADIA will continue to advocate against these changes. This issue will be discussed in detail at the September Technical Forum.

3G network switch off

The cut-off date for Telstra and Optus to switch off their 3G networks has been extended to 28 October 2024. If you manufacture or supply medical devices or other products that communicate via 3G you need to consider the impacts on users and take steps to notify customers and mitigate any risks. See the updated webpage.

TGA Consultation | Medical Devices - Essential Principles Consultation

The TGA is consulting on proposed changes to the Australian Essential Principles for Safety and Performance of medical devices, to align with changes being implemented in the Europe (GSPR). Please follow these links for further information and the consultation paper.

Deadlines for comment: For inclusion in the ADIA submission send feedback to advocacy@adia.com.au by 5pm Wednesday 9 October 2024 or send feedback directly to the TGA by Wednesday 16 October 2024.

New and updated Information from the TGA

• Software Developers - note changes to the Essential Principle 13B Guidance
• Instructions for Use (IFU) - updated webpage