So what is happening with the Australian Government’s Allergies and Anaphylaxis Inquiry

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport of the Australian Government has determined that there was to be an Inquiry into allergies and anaphylaxis.

The following are the Terms of Reference

1. The potential and known causes, prevalence, impacts and costs of anaphylaxis in Australia;
2. The adequacy of food and drug safety process and food and drug allergy management, auditing and compliance (including food allergen labelling by manufacturers and food service providers);
3. The adequacy and consistency of professional education, training, management/treatment standards and patient record systems for allergy and anaphylaxis;
4. Access to and cost of services, including diagnosis, testing, management, treatment and support;
5. Developments in research into allergy and anaphylaxis including prevention, causes, treatment and emerging treatments (such as oral immunotherapy);
6. Unscientific diagnosis and treatments being recommended and used by some consumers; and
7. The impact of unnecessary drug avoidance due to unconfirmed drug allergies and its management, such drug allergy ‘de-labelling’.

All interested parties were encouraged to send in a submission by 29 November 2019.  Public hearings based on those submissions are the next step in the inquiry process. We will wait to see the report and any recommendations from the Committee, The Inquiry’s web address is https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Health_Aged_Care_and_Sport/Allergiesandanaphylaxis

Committee Secretariat contact:

PO Box 6021

Parliament House

CANBERRA

Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: +61 2 6277 4145

Fax: 02 6277 4427

Health.Reps@aph.gov.au