Medical Board of Australia - Codes, Guidelines and Policies
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Codes, Guidelines and Policies

The Medical Board of Australia has developed codes and guidelines to guide the profession. These also help to clarify the Board's expectations on a range of issues. The Board has approved codes and guidelines on the following:

Codes and guidelines

Document PDF Accessible format Date of approval  Date of effect
Good medical practice: a code of conduct for doctors in Australia PDF (174 KB) Web page  27 May 2020 1 October 2020
Guidelines - Registered health practitioners and students in relation to blood-borne viruses  PDF (80.5KB)  Word version
(939 KB,DOCX)
26 February 2020  6 July 2020
Guidelines: Sexual boundaries in the doctor-patient relationship
PDF (78.8KB) Web page  29 August 2018 12 December 2018
Guidelines: Mandatory notifications about registered health practitioners* PDF (250 KB) Web page 27 November 2019 1 March 2020
Guidelines: Mandatory notifications about registered students** PDF (150 KB) Web page 27 November 2019 1 March 2020

Guidelines: Telehealth consultations with patients

For more information see the news item.

PDF (81 KB)

Web page 24 May 2023 1 September 2023
Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service PDF (192 KB) Web page 22 April 2020  14 December 2020
Guidelines for registered medical practitioners who advertise cosmetic surgery

For more information see the news item and FAQ  
PDF  
(140 KB)
 
Web page  22 February 2023 1 July 2023 
Guidelines for registered medical practitioners who perform cosmetic surgery and procedures

For more information see the news item and FAQ
PDF  
(148 KB)
 
Web page  22 February  2023 1 July 2023 
Guidelines - Short-term training in a medical specialty for international medical graduates who are not qualified for general or specialist registration
PDF (103KB) Web page 24 September 2014 1 July 2016
Guidelines - Supervised practice for international medical graduates

Further information about supervision is available on the Supervision page
PDF (146KB)  Web page 25 March 2015 4 January 2016 
Social media: How to meet your obligations under the National Law   Web page   11 November 2019 
Guideline - Informing a National Board about where you practise  PDF (152 KB)  Word version 
(590 KB,DOCX)
  1 August 2018

Position statements

Document PDF Accessible format Date of approval Date of effect
Joint statement on professional responsibilities for prescribing and dispensing medicines  PDF (354 KB)
 Webpage _ 3 June 2024
Facilitating access to care in a COVID-19 environment: Guidance for health practitioners PDF (208 KB) Word version
(120 KB, DOCX)
24 November 2021  21 December 2021
No place for sexism, sexual harassment or violence in healthcare PDF (205KB)  Word version 
(120 KB,DOCX) 
28 April 2021 30 June 2021

Frameworks

Document PDF Accessible format Date of approval Date of effect
Supervised practice framework

For more information see Supervised practice framework – for medical practitioners page. This framework does not apply to IMGs, interns or vocational trainees
PDF (202KB)  Web page 28 April 2021 1 February 2022 

The Supervised practice framework was updated in April 2023 to reflect the Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia adopting the framework from 1 April 2023.

Policies

Document PDF Accessible format Date of approval Date of effect
Common Protocol - Informing notifiers about the reasons for National Board decisions  PDF (91.8KB) Word version 
(58.6 KB,DOCX) 
30 July 2018 1 August 2018
Policy: Supervised practice requirements for specialist registration

PDF (146 KB)

  25 September 2024
21 October 2024
Policy: Orientation requirements for specialist registration
PDF (128 KB)
  25 September 2024
21 October 2024
Policy: Cultural safety education requirements for specialist registration
PDF (138 KB)
  25 September 2024
21 October 2024

Policy directions

Under Section 11 of the National Law, as in force in each state and territory, the Ministerial Council may issue a National Board with policy directions.

Document PDF Accessible format Date of issue Date of effect
Policy Direction 2019-01 - Paramountcy of public protection when administering the National Scheme
Policy Direction 2019-02 - Requirements to consult with patient safety bodies and health care consumer bodies on every new and revised registration standard, code and guidelines
PDF
(2.34MB)

31 October - 1 November 2019 8 January 2020

Registration

Document PDF Accessible format Document date
Medical registration - what does it mean? Who should be registered? PDF (1018KB)
15 March 2012

FAQ and Fact Sheets

For further information please refer to the FAQ and Fact Sheets page.

Retired versions

Document PDF Date of effect
Retired version: Guidelines for technology based patient consultations

Information on inter-jurisdictional technology based patient consultations

PDF (74.5 KB)

PDF (66.9 KB)

 To 31 August 2023
Retired version: Cosmetic surgery advertising obligations under the National Law
  To 30 June 2023
Retired version: Guidelines for registered medical practitioners who perform cosmetic medical and surgical procedures
PDF (78.9KB) To 30 June 2023
Retired version: Guidelines for advertising regulated health services  PDF (155 KB)  To 13 December 2020
Retired version: Good medical practice: a code of conduct for doctors in Australia PDF (138 KB)  To  30 September 2020
Retired version: Guidelines for mandatory notifications  PDF (149KB)  To 29 February 2020 
Retired version: Social media policy PDF (62KB) To 10 November 2019
Retired version: Sexual boundaries: guidelines for doctors PDF (110KB)  To 12 December 2018
Retired version: Guidelines for supervised practice for limited registration   PDF (546KB)  To 3 January 2016 
Retired version: Good medical practice: a code of conduct for doctors in Australia PDF (518KB) To 16 March 2014
Retired version: Guidelines for advertising of regulated health services PDF (451KB) To 16 March 2014
Retired version: Guidelines for mandatory notifications PDF (412KB) To 16 March 2014

*The Guidelines: Mandatory notifications about registered health practitioners have been updated on 29 June 2020 to include minor formatting and word changes and changes to the flowcharts on pages 20, 22 and 26 of the guidelines.

**The Guidelines: Mandatory notifications about registered students have been updated on 29 June 2020 to include minor formatting and word changes and sections 39 and 40 of the National Law in Appendix A.

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Page reviewed 20/10/2024