Regulating Health Professionals

Question 1

HPCAA 7

Unqualified person must not claim to be health practitioner

Answer 1

Person may only use names associated with health practitioner if they are registered and qualified in that profession

Question 2

HPCAA 8

Health practitioners must not practise outside scope of practice

Answer 2

Health practitioners who practise the profession must have APC

Only performs health services that are in the scope of practice, unless in cases of emergency, training, examination

Question 3

HPCAA 9

Certain activities restricted to particular health practitioners

Answer 3

Governor-General may declare an activity to be a restricted activity only for a certain profession

Question 4

HPCAA 11

Authorities must specify scopes of practice

Answer 4

Publish in Gazette the scope of practice by reference to:

• area of science/learning
• tasks commonly performed
• illnesses/conditions to be diagnosed/treated/managed

Question 5

HPCAA 12

Qualifications must be prescribed

Answer 5

Publish in Gazette requirements to practise within that scope eg. completion of degree

Question 6

HPCAA 13

Principles guiding the prescribing of qualifications

Answer 6

Qualifications must:

• Be necesssary to protect members of the public
• Not unnecessarily restrict registration of people as health practitioners
• Not impose undue costs on health practitioners/public

Question 7

HPCAA 15

Requirements for registration of practitioners

Answer 7

Person applying to be a health profession must:

• Be fit for registration
• Have qualifications prescribed for that scope of practice [BPharm degree from UoA or UoO]
• Be competent to practise in that scope of practice

Question 8

HPCAA 16

Fitness for registration

Answer 8

• Able to communicate effectively & in English
• If convicted, not for 3+ months or for something that reflects adversely on fitness to practise in that profession
• Does not have mental/physical condition impeding practice
• Not under investigation of disciplinary proceedings, disputes tribunal that reflects adversely on fitness to practise in that profession

–> will not endanger health/safety of general public

Question 9

HPCAA 17

Applications for registration of health practitioners and authorisations of scopes of practice

Answer 9

Applications must contain:

• Indication of scope of practice within that the applicant propose to practise in (may include any changes)
• Evidence to support this proposal

Question 10

HPCAA 26

Applications for annual practising certificate

Answer 10

When applying, must state whether the applicant is currently practising in the profession or not

Question 11

HPCA 27

Restrictions on issue of annual practising certificate

Answer 11

APC will NOT be issued if applicant has:

• Failed to maintain required standard of competence
• Not satisafactorily completed requirements of any competence programme ordered by authority to complete
• Not held APC of any kind within past 3 years
• Unable to perform functions requried for the profession due to mental/physical condition
• Not lawfully practised the profession in the past 3 years

Question 12

HPCAA 30

Currency of annual practising certificate

Answer 12

Only valid for no longer than 1 year

Question 13

HPCAA 31

Interim practising certificate

Answer 13

Only valid for no longer than 1 year

No longer valid if holder of certificate ceases to be registered, or APC is issued instead

Question 14

HPCAA 32

Scope of practice must be endorsed on practising certificates

Answer 14

self-explanatory lol

Question 15

HPCAA 33

Surrender of practising certificate

Answer 15

If APC issued electronically, must send acknowledgement to Registrar

If APC issued in hard copy form, must send APC to Registrar

Both done within 14 days of receiving notice