In the media

My Health Record: big pharma can apply to access data
Pharmaceutical companies will be allowed to apply for data from the controversial My Health Record system, a Senate committee hearing has been told. Caroline Edwards, the deputy secretary of the Department of Health, told the committee third-party access arrangements would allow medical and public health researchers access to de-identified data (18 September 2018). More...

Brisbane's Lady Cilento hospital to be renamed to 'clear up confusion'
Brisbane's Lady Cilento Children's hospital will be renamed as the Queensland Children's Hospital. Queensland's health minister, Steven Miles, announced the change on Friday, saying it would clear up confusion about whether the hospital was a public or private facility (21 September 2018). More...

Fake doctor exposes serious security risks at Queensland hospital
A fake doctor who roamed the Queensland Children's Hospital (QCH) in Brisbane has sparked a security overhaul that included a crackdown on swipe-card access and revealed the entire CCTV network needed to be replaced (24 September 2018). More...

Prescription for poverty: drug companies as tax dodgers, price gougers, and influence peddlers
Pharmaceutical companies behind some of Australia's best-known brands avoided an estimated $215 million a year in tax in Australia over a three year period - almost four times the $63 million actually paid, according to this report. More...

Department of Health: contaminated strawberries, Queensland - update 5
Investigations into cases of contaminated strawberries remain ongoing with no further updates at this time. The Queensland Government is working closely with local and interstate stakeholders as the investigation continues (17 September 2018). More...

QAO: Managing transfers in pharmacy ownership
The objective of this audit is to assess whether the Department of Health ensures transfers in pharmacy ownership comply with the requirements of the Pharmacy Business Ownership Act 2001. Submissions for this form have now closed. More...

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