12 April 2022 –

Consumer Healthcare Products (CHP) Australia today releases the industry’s priorities ahead of the 2022 Federal Election.

CHP Australia believes that Australians’ health and healthcare system are best served by robust healthcare policies that deliver evidence-based solutions to raise health literacy, promote self-care and self-medication capabilities, and ensure that, where appropriate, more medicines are made available without a prescription.

To that end, the following priorities and recommendations are focused on advancing responsible self-care and supporting the consumer healthcare products industry.

Embedding self-care in national health policy and practice, and dedicated investment in self-care initiatives

• Establish the Self-Care for Health Development Fund; a long-term fund dedicated to self-care innovation and development, with a mandate to facilitate and expand self-care engagement
• Consideration of an extended trial of a common ailment scheme system in community pharmacy.

Supporting a tobacco-free and nicotine-free future.

• Commitment to evidence-based policy and regulatory frameworks that support tobacco and nicotine cessation, and addressing the challenges surrounding novel and emerging tobacco and/or nicotine products, including e-cigarettes, that are inherently addictive.
• Urgent review of the appropriateness of the current nicotine vaping products (NVP) advertising permission.

Ongoing collaboration with industry to address the challenges of plastics, waste, and the circular economy, unifying national packaging standards and requirements, and improving coordination between jurisdictions.

Improving regulator capacity, and supporting ongoing cooperation and consultation between the Therapeutic Goods Administration and industry.

• Allocate a portion of the revenue collected from TGAC noncompliance fines to finance the administration of TGA advertising compliance services.

CHP Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Deon Schoombie, explains,

• “Through the National Preventive Health Strategy, policymakers have taken the first step towards strengthening Australia’s self-care capacity, However, dedicated, ongoing funding for initiatives that enhance consumer and HCPs self-care capabilities is required if Australia is to capitalise on the health, economic and productivity benefits available through greater self-care.”
• “Empowering individuals to take greater responsibility for their health management and outcomes should be a defining characteristic of Australia’s health and care systems, services, and supports.”

CHP Australia will be following the election campaign closely, and will gladly offer our public endorsement of any policies that advance responsible self-care for health, or support the consumer healthcare industry.