Australian Medical Association

The AMA submission highlights that the Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare 2010 already govern the management of health care practitioners who have blood-borne viruses and makes the point that there is no need to de-register a medical practitioner because they have a blood-borne virus.  The AMA has asked the Board to clarify its role in regulating the scope of practice of medical practitioners who are infected with a blood-borne virus in isolation from the way this issue is managed by medical practitioners and the health care organisations in which they practice.  The AMA has suggested the Board undertake a second round of consultation once it has clarified what action would constitute a breach of guidelines and that action the Board might take in such cases.

The AMA responded to an invitation from the Australian Register of Naturopaths and Herbalists to comment on the development of practice, registration and accreditation standards for naturopathy and western herbal medicine in Australia. The AMA advised that it could not provide comments until the proposals had legal standing and a board for naturopaths and herbal medicine practitioners is established under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009.

AMA Position Statement: The Role of the Medical Practitioner in Advance Care Planning - 2006

The NSW Supreme Court's June 2003 decision of PD v Dr Nicholas Harvey and Another reminds doctors in clinical practice of the importance of effective patient-doctor communication and duty of care to third parties.

AMA Position Statement: Blood Borne Viral Infections - 1995. Revised 2002. Revised 2004

AMA Position Statement: Complementary Medicine - 2002

AMA Position Statement: Medical Students: Immunisation and Blood Borne Viral Infections - 1997