Issues outside Ahpra and National Boards’ role

Updated 13 January 2022

Some of the questions we (Ahpra) have received about aspects of COVID-19 are outside of our role of protecting the public by regulating individual registered health practitioners. We understand that people are looking for trusted sources of information and we want to help you get to the best place to resolve your question or concern.

Please visit your state or territory health department website for up-to-date information on about COVID-19.

Areas not for Ahpra and National Boards

• Use of point-of-care COVID-19 rapid antigen tests by registered health practitioners
  • Point-of-care COVID-19 rapid antigen tests are designed for larger-scale professional testing and require user training. They can only be legally supplied under specific conditions for use by trained health practitioners, and trained staff under their supervision. This is so that they are appropriately used, and the results interpreted correctly.
  • Only pharmacists can offer COVID-19 testing services to members of the general public using point-of-care COVID-19 rapid antigen tests. Point-of-care tests are not permitted to be sold to individuals.
  • A wider range of health practitioners are now able to test patients using point-of-care COVID-19 rapid antigen tests. In addition to medical practitioners, health practitioners who can now test their patients using point-of-care COVID-19 rapid antigen tests include registered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners, medical radiation practitioners, nurses, midwives, occupational therapists, optometrists, physiotherapists, podiatrists and psychologists.
  • More information on point-of-care COVID-19 rapid antigen tests and the conditions of their use is available on the TGA website at www.tga.gov.au/covid-19-point-care-tests.
• Availability and access to personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Please check government advice (links above), with your employer, or primary health network.
• Volunteering
  • Individual health services have their own arrangements for volunteers. Please check the health service website or respond to expressions of interest.
• Clinical issues relating to the novel coronavirus and COVID-19
  • What infection control measures health practitioners should be taking (check government advice).
  • What to do if an employee has symptoms of COVID-19 (check government advice, including symptom checker and the Fair Work Commission COVID-19 webpage).
• Decisions about emergency measures including restrictions or required closure of health services and clinics (check government advice above)
  • Employee rights if a practice is closed by its owner or by government direction (check the Fair Work Commission COVID-19 webpage and resources, and/or seek independent legal advice).

Read further information on Ahpra website

www.health.gov.au is the official site for the latest information on the novel coronavirus pandemic.