Revised endorsement for scheduled medicines registration standard takes effect today

01 Aug 2018

The Podiatry Board of Australia’s (the Board) revised registration standard for endorsement for scheduled medicines and associated guidelines come into effect today.

The Board published the revised registration standard and guidelines on 30 April 2018 as well as explanatory information including FAQ and flowcharts to help practitioners become familiar with the new requirements.

The revised registration standard and guidelines replace the previous registration standard and guidelines and apply to podiatrists and podiatric surgeons applying for endorsement for scheduled medicines after 1 August 2018.

Registration standard and guideline

What are the main changes?

The revised registration standard has clearer wording and structure to help practitioners understand the requirements for endorsement. It also has two pathways for practitioners to follow to gain endorsement.

Pathway A is a new contemporary pathway which enables students who complete a program of study that has been accredited and approved for this pathway to be qualified for endorsement for scheduled medicines when they graduate.

Pathway B is similar to Pathway 2 of the previous registration standard with additional improvements, including more flexibility about the evidence that has to be submitted along with an application for endorsement (a portfolio of evidence instead of 40 log sheets). It also has two new process steps:

• before a practitioner begins their period of supervised practice they must apply to the Board to commence supervised practice. This involves submitting evidence of their approved qualification in podiatric therapeutics, completion of approved online case studies and a signed mentor agreement, and 
• during the period of supervised practice, a practitioner has to submit three clinical studies to the Board for initial assessment. The practitioner can continue their period of supervised practice while these case studies are being assessed. The practitioner must have three clinical studies assessed as satisfactory by the Board by the time they complete their period of supervised practice.

There have also been changes to the National Podiatry Scheduled Medicines List, which is now attached to the registration standard.

More information about the changes to the registration standard, National Podiatry Scheduled Medicines List and guidelines can be found in the FAQ that were published by the Board on 30 April 2018.

Transitional arrangements

To support a smooth transition to the revised registration standard, the Board published transitional arrangements for practitioners who were working towards an endorsement under Pathway 2 of the previous registration standard but had not submitted an application for endorsement by 1 August 2018.

Practitioners who want to use the transitional arrangements have until 1 September 2018 to let the Board know and submit relevant documents. The transitional arrangements are published on the Board’s website.

More information

The registration standard and guidelines as well as other supporting information, including templates and FAQ are available on the Endorsement for scheduled medicines page.

The Ministerial Council approved the revised registration standard on 2 February 2018. The registration standard was revised after a scheduled review, which included public consultation. The submissions to the public consultation are published on the past consultations page of the Board’s website.