AHPRA and Medical Board host international conference

20 Sep 2016

Experienced medical regulators, academics and educators from around the world will gather in Melbourne from today at IAMRA2016 - the 12th conference of the International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities.

Hosted by the Medical Board of Australia and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), IAMRA2016 has attracted more than 450 delegates from more than 42 countries - the largest gathering of international medical regulators ever held.

The theme of the conference is ‘making a difference’ - delegates will examine common challenges and experiences in medical regulation globally.

‘The biennial IAMRA conference has become a thought-provoking forum where international medical regulators, policy makers and academics share ideas, experiences and learn from each other,’ said Medical Board Chair, Dr Joanna Flynn AM.

‘At its heart regulation is about public safety and I’m pleased that the experiences and expectations of the community in medical regulation are a big feature of IAMRA2016,’ said AHPRA CEO Martin Fletcher.

A diverse program of international and local speakers will explore themes related to IAMRA’s purpose - to protect, promote, and maintain the health and safety of the public by ensuring proper standards for the profession of medicine.

Through plenary sessions, workshops, oral presentations and posters, delegates will consider the needs and expectations of the community, global challenges in medical education and professional regulation, the evidence on what is effective in regulation, the training of doctors of the future and how regulators will respond to changes and developments in medical practice.

‘Medical regulation is a very important thread in the fabric of quality and safety in healthcare, around the world. It makes a really important contribution to patient safety as well as health and medical workforce planning,’ Dr Flynn said.

Commonwealth Health Minister, the Hon. Sussan Ley will open the conference, which includes Professor Ron Patterson (who is conducting a chaperone review for AHPRA and the Board) talking to international regulators about their experiences; discussions about doctors’ fitness to practise; emerging issues in telemedicine; and the challenges when health system issues and individual poor performance overlap.

Media enquiries: (03 87089200

For live updates on the conference follow @IAMRA2016 and @WePublicHealth on Twitter or visit the IAMRA2016 website for more information.

About IAMRA (International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities)

Medical regulation protects the public. Every day, medical regulatory authorities (MRAs) around the world strive to fulfill their mandate - to protect, promote, and maintain the health and safety of the public by ensuring proper standards for the profession of medicine. IAMRA exists to support the world’s medical regulatory authorities in this endeavor. Through scientific, educational, and collaborative activities, IAMRA strives to encourage best practices among the world’s MRAs and to respond to both their current and future needs.

Download a PDF of this Media statement - AHPRA and Medical Board host international conference - 20 September 2016  (285 KB,PDF)