November 2024

Issue 33 – November 2024

From the Chair
Priority news
- 3G network closure and emergency devices – talk to consumers about this change
- Practitioner webinar on 28 November – check your email for your invitation
Board news
Students and graduates
- Finishing your studies? Apply for registration now
What’s new?
Stay in touch with the Board

From the Chair

Welcome to our last newsletter of the year.

Last week we celebrated World Acupuncture Day, commemorating an ancient and proud profession. I want to thank our acupuncturists for their ongoing commitment and care for our community.

It’s that time of year again and renewal is well underway. We’ve included some helpful tips to help you through the process. People place their trust in Chinese medicine practitioners, and the Board exists to ensure that this trust is met. Meeting your obligations at renewal is one way we can support safe practice. Read more about our helpful resources below and be sure to renew by 30 November to avoid any late fees.

On 28 November, the Board will host a webinar for practitioners. Please join us to hear an update from the Board about its activities and policy issues relevant to Chinese medicine.

Best wishes for the Festive Season and thank you for your dedication to the profession and the exceptional work that you do.

Adjunct Professor Danforn Lim
Chair, Chinese Medicine Board of Australia

Priority news

3G network closure and emergency devices – talk to consumers about this change

As of 28 October 2024, Telstra and Optus closed their 3G networks. Devices that depend on the 3G network will no longer work.

Devices including in-home personal emergency alarms, insulin pumps and pacemakers that rely on the 3G network for voice calls won’t be able to make Triple Zero (000) calls when the network is shut down.

People who use these devices will need to contact their service provider to see if their device is affected

It is estimated that approximately 200,000 people who use these devices do not know that they rely on the 3G network to work. We are asking practitioners to talk to potentially affected consumers about the change and what they need to do to stay safe and connected

More information is available on ‘3G is closing: check your tech’ on the AMTA website.

Practitioner webinar on 28 November – check your email for your invitation

On 28 November, the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia will be hosting a webinar for all practitioners and stakeholders. Join us to hear an update on the Board’s activities as well as policy issues relevant to Chinese medicine. You will also hear about notifications trends in Chinese medicine with a case study that illustrates the notification process.

Invitations to attend the webinar have been sent so check your emails, and please submit your questions for the Q&A session when you register.

Board news

It’s time to renew your registration – renew now to avoid late fees

Chinese medicine practitioners have until 30 November to renew their general or non-practising registration. If you submit your application to renew on time, you can continue practising while your application is assessed. Renewing on time also means you’ll avoid late fees which apply after 30 November 2024.

Keep an eye out for your reminder email from Ahpra with your link to online renewal.

You can read the renewal FAQs on the Ahpra website for tips on logging in and for more information about renewal, read the news item.

Why you need to meet standards and guidelines to practise

People put their trust in Chinese medicine practitioners, and the Board exists to ensure that this trust is met. We do this by developing and applying registration standards, codes and guidelines to Chinese medicine practitioners and their practice.

It’s important that you keep up to date with your obligations and make any necessary amendments to your practice.

The Board’s codes and guidelines cover a range of practice areas, including:

Advertising
Infection control
Continuing professional development (CPD)
Safe practice of Chinese herbal medicine
Social media
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Patient health records
Supervision

Detail about your obligations in these areas is available on the Board's website.

Here are some quick tips in ensuring you keep up to date with your obligations:

Know your Code of conduct – the Code of conduct is an important document which sets out expectations of professional behaviour and conduct. The Board refers to the code when considering concerns about a practitioner’s conduct or behaviour.
Regularly check that your advertising adheres to the Board’s Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service. There are increased penalties for non-compliance so it’s important you understand your requirements.
Take the time to read and understand any position statements endorsed by the Board.
Watch webinars and presentations hosted by the Board.
Incorporate content about your professional and ethical obligations within your annual CPD.
Keep up to date with our newsletters.
Reach out to experienced colleagues and professional associations for advice and support.
Follow Ahpra’s social media for latest news – LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

Thank you for helping us uphold the standards and reputation of the profession.

Need more information? Contact Ahpra on 1300 419 495 or make an online web enquiry. Your professional association or professional indemnity insurer may also be able to help you understand your obligations and provide you with further advice.

Common advertising mistakes – examples added to Board’s guidance

We acknowledge that it can sometimes be difficult to understand what you can and can’t include in your advertisements.

To help, the Board has updated its advertising guidance for Chinese medicine practitioners to include examples of common advertising mistakes and steps you can take to be compliant.

We have also updated and redesigned our advertising webpage to include these examples and published a Quick reference guide on Acceptable evidence in health advertising for Chinese medicine practitioners. This guide is designed to help you understand the acceptable evidence required for your advertising.

Learn more about advertising on the Board’s website.

Latest workforce data released

The Board has released its quarterly registration report for 1 July to 30 September 2024. At this date, there were 4,861 registered practitioners: 4,527 with general registration, 322 non-practising registrants and one practitioner with limited registration.

There were 24 practitioners who identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, or 0.5 per cent of the profession.

For more details, including registration data by principal place of practice, age and gender, visit our Statistics page.

Students and graduates

Finishing your studies? Apply for registration now

If you’re studying to become a Chinese medicine practitioner and are about to finish your course, you can apply for registration now. Getting your application in early helps avoid any delays and helps get you into the workforce sooner. Applying early means Ahpra can start to assess your application while waiting for graduation results.

Before you can start working as a Chinese medicine practitioner you have to be registered with the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia (the Board).

Easy steps to apply online

Create your account using Ahpra’s online services and complete your application.
Upload your documents and pay the required fees. Check that you have provided all required documents to prove you’ve met the registration standards, including certified copies of your photo ID.
Wait for your education provider to provide your graduate results to Ahpra.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander graduates

Ahpra’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement and Support team is there to assist you through the registration process.

The support team consists of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, and they provide a one-on-one service. They can assist you to navigate the registration process, provide regular phone contact, and advise on any disclosures you made on your registration application (for example, about impairments) that the Board may need to consider.

The support team is committed to assisting you to get registered promptly so you can start making vital contributions to culturally safe healthcare for your communities. If, after reading the handy hints below, you would still like some help with your application for registration, please email the support team at mobengagementsupport@ahpra.gov.au.

Handy hints to help you apply

You’ll find helpful advice, tips for avoiding common causes of delay, and downloadable information flyers on the Graduate applications page of the Ahpra website. Watch our video to get your application right, it’s at the bottom of the page.
Read our news item for more information about applying.

What’s new?

Applying your code of conduct to evolving technologies – AI in healthcare

Are you using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your practice?

AI is rapidly becoming integrated into everyday healthcare and has the potential to transform and support new and innovative ways of working. So how do you ensure when using these new technologies that you maintain the high standard of care expected by your patients and clients?

Ahpra and National Boards support the safe use of AI in healthcare, recognising the significant potential to improve health outcomes and create a more person-centred health system.

While the potential of AI to improve diagnostics and disease detection has been reported for some time, recent commentary has focused on the benefits for health practitioners for improved care and patient satisfaction, including reducing administrative burdens and health practitioner burnout.

As new tools emerge, so do the unique practical and ethical issues associated with its use in a healthcare setting. Ahpra and the National Boards have developed principles for practitioners to consider when using or looking to integrate AI into their practice. These principles translate existing obligations in practitioner codes of conduct and remind practitioners to consider these responsibilities when assessing the appropriate use of AI.

Specific professional obligations to consider include accountability, an appropriate understanding of the tool, transparency of its use, informed consent, and ethical and legal issues. Read Meeting your professional obligations when using AI in healthcare and its supporting case studies on the Ahpra website to learn more about what safe and effective use of AI should look like.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner registration reaches exciting milestone

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners registered with Ahpra hit 1,000 for the first time in September.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners are a unique profession founded on traditional values, complemented by modern medicine. They are clinical and cultural experts who build trust, practise cultural safety and bring an understanding which strengthens health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

They work autonomously or as part of a multidisciplinary team, providing a broad range of expertise in both primary and tertiary healthcare, from administering and supplying medications, to acute and chronic disease management and advocating for consumers.

Their aim is to empower First Nations families and communities to make them feel welcome, safe and comfortable when using health services and to make self-determined decisions about their health and wellbeing. The profession, while small in number, is critical to ‘closing the gap’ by removing disparities in healthcare.

Ahpra congratulates the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia (ATSIHPBA) for ensuring practitioners are suitably trained, qualified and safe to practise, and for working collectively and collaboratively with the National Scheme and stakeholders to eliminate racism in healthcare.

Improving experiences when navigating a healthcare complaint

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission), Ahpra and the National Boards have worked on a joint project to explore opportunities to improve the consumer experience of making a healthcare complaint in Australia.

Both organisations wanted to get a better understanding of the barriers that consumers face when making a healthcare complaint and to discover what will better support consumers. The project found that the complexity of the complaints system places a huge weight of responsibility on consumers to understand how it works. Consumers are also experiencing barriers, whether social, economic or cultural, that are affecting their ability to make a complaint and want a system that is focused on their needs rather than administrative processes.

The final report has now been published along with resources for practitioners and the public about navigating healthcare complaints.

What we’ve done

To improve experiences for those going through a complaint process, the Commission and Ahpra have:

updated our websites to clarify the process of making a complaint
developed three animations to give clear information to the public about how and where to make a health complaint
developed a ‘Tips for consumers when making a complaint’ webpage and fact sheet
developed Healthcare complaints - where to make a complaint (downloadable fact sheet), and
created a complaints checklist for practitioners to help effectively handle feedback and complaints from consumers.

We will continue to make improvements to our websites and consumer resources. In some states and territories, work is being explored to develop local resources about complaints options.

Ahpra’s annual report shows progress in addressing workforce needs

Addressing workforce needs by getting more health practitioners safely registered faster and responding to new risks from emerging models of care are the highlights of the 2023/24 Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) annual report.

At 30 June this year, there were 920,535 registered health practitioners in Australia, a 4.9 per cent increase on the previous year. This means there are now 3.4 registered health practitioners for every 100 Australians. This is the first time the number of registered practitioners has exceeded 900,000, and 96.9 per cent of these practitioners hold practising registration.

Improvements to Ahpra’s registration processes have almost halved the time to finalise international applications, cutting the previous 60-day average to just 33 days. There was strong growth in the number of internationally qualified health practitioners with 48.4 per cent more new overseas practitioners gaining registration than in the previous financial year.

Maintaining a balance between access to needed healthcare and the risk posed by some emerging models of care is a key priority for Ahpra, amid the acceleration of telehealth, online prescribing and direct-to-consumer health services. New models of care in areas such as medicinal cannabis and vaping have led Ahpra to develop cross-regulatory solutions with other regulators, such as the Therapeutic Goods Administration, to take a system-wide approach to patient safety.

Learn more about the Board’s data in the annual report or read the news item.

Stay in touch with the Board

Visit the Chinese Medicine Board website for news about the profession, information on the National Scheme and for registration standards, codes, guidelines, policies and fact sheets.
Lodge an online enquiry form.
For registration enquiries call 1300 419 495 (from within Australia) or +61 3 9135 3010 (for overseas callers).
Address mail correspondence to: Adjunct Professor Danforn Lim, Chair, Chinese Medicine Board of Australia, GPO Box 9958, Melbourne VIC 3001.