March 2013

Recall Health Products

Cars with sticking accelerators or faulty suspension, child car restraints that don’t work and portable DVD players that catch alight – just some recent product recalls with a health and safety angle. Find more at www.recalls.gov.au or download the free Recalls Australia app, available for both iPhone and Android devices, or try YouTube’s ACCC Product Safety. Other safety advisories we receive cover internet products that claim they are safe and natural but contain known pharmaceuticals: Libigirl capsules (for a better sex life for women) contain sildenafil (Viagra) and tadalafil (Cialis); Best Slim capsules and Meizi Evolution Botanical Slimming soft gel capsules (both to lose weight) contain sibutramine (Reductil).

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Amber Light

The hyperbaric chamber at SJOG Subiaco remains inoperative because its owners Hyperbaric Health (HH) need to be sure about commercial viability. The culprit is the cessation of the MBS item number for non-diabetic hypoxic wounds, which HH estimates accounts for ~30% of their case-load and they’re evaluating patient numbers to maintain oxygen therapy as a direct cost-free option. HH operate 56 chambers at 20 locations in the Asia-Pacific region including several in Sydney and two in Melbourne. They’re hoping for a first-half 2013 cutting of the ribbon at Subiaco.

NFPs standards boost

WA specialists we surveyed said too many not-for-profit (NFPs), Institutes and such like in WA (some say >1000). The federal government is tackling registered charities with draft governance standards from the new Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. These cover the purposes and NFP nature of charities, accountability to members, compliance with Australian laws, responsible financial affairs, and suitability and duties of those who manage charities. See www.acnc.gov.au or the online forum www.notforprofit.gov.au or the proposed financial regulations at www.treasury.gov.au. The federal government also announced its “Better Targeting of NFPs Tax Concessions” will start from July 1, 2014

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 Charity for a charity 

The Passages Resource Centre in Northbridge is the charity of choice for SJOG Subi, which no longer calls itself a charitable but a not-for-profit organisation. Passages is one of a number of charitable organisations providing help for homeless youth, this time 14-25 year olds – help with rental within their eight transitional independent houses, transport, job and health appointments, education and recreation support. To select charities of choice at SJOG Subi, the Director of Mission selects three that fit their Social Justice Vision and then caregivers (employees) make the final selection.

ePrescriptions on trial

The ACCC has granted interim authorisation for prescription exchange services between eRx Script Exchange and MediSecure. Both compete for doctor electronic script lodgement at a participating pharmacy: one is Pharmacy Guild backed, the other RACGP backed! Until 2017 they have legal immunity from anti-competition court action, to come up with sharing script lodgements, badly needed by mobile docs and patients in WA.

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Research push for CBTs

TICHR’s Dr Nick Gottardo (Medical Forum, October edition) recently hosted like-minded researchers for a Global Symposium of Brain Tumours funded by the Telethon Adventurers. Over at WAIMR, Dr Susan Peters published study results showing a correlation between childhood brain tumours (CBTs) and diesel exhaust fumes; if fathers-to-be worked near diesel-powered equipment around the time of conception or if pregnant mothers were exposed. Pesticides and solvents are next.

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Let it be known

There are 78 nominations for the WA Business News 40under40 Business Awards People’s Choice and Dr Marcus Tan (Primary Care WA) and Mr Daniel Minchin (Silver Chain) are amongst them. An email from Primary Care’s previous CEO alerted us, promoting both men as Primary Care board members and suggesting recipients vote online for them as nominees for “this prestigious award that recognises contributions made to the welfare of Western Australians”. When we enquired, it seemed that being connected to many people and using social media gave candidates the advantage. Only online voting counts. You could self-nominate, pay $300, and perhaps be amongst 40 winners to receive website, Facebook, WA Business News, and March 13 gala launch coverage. Last year, they got about 7000 online votes in total.