Saving and improving Australian lives through a world-class blood supply http://www.nba.gov.au en-au Copyright(c) Commonwealth of Australia 2012 5 http://www.nba.gov.au/_img/nba-rss.jpg http://www.nba.gov.au 142 40 http://www.nba.gov.au/guidelines/updates.html The Review of the NHMRC ASBT Clinical Practice Guidelines on Fresh Blood Components (2001) will result in the production of six modules as part of a comprehensive, evidence-based, Patient Blood Management Guideline. 2012-05-11T00:00Z http://www.nba.gov.au/ivigreview/survey.html The National Blood Authority, on behalf of all Australian governments is coordinating a review of the adequacy of the current Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIg) authorisation and clinical governance arrangements. This review seeks to understand the current authorisation and clinical governance environment for IVIg and identify options for an improved and integrated clinical governance and authorisation framework. The review will also consider the implications of managing normal immunoglobulin (NIg) and subcutaneous immunoglobulin, if approved for government funding, within the same improved framework. IVIg prescribing, authorisation and review practices surveys are now available. 2012-05-07T00:00Z http://www.nba.gov.au/supply/sector-monitoring.html The NBA monitors international developments that may influence the management of blood and blood products in Australia. Our focus is on: Information that may have an impact on global supply, demand and pricing, such as changes in company structure, capacity, organisation and ownership; Potential new product developments and applications; Global regulatory and blood practice trends, and; Other emerging risks that could potentially put financial or other pressures on the Australian sector. A summary of recent matters of interest was posted to the NBA website (www.nba.gov.au) on 4 May 2012. Highlights include: Clinical trials are continuing on a number of new therapies for haemophilia; At the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, presentations reported on studies in treating primary immunodeficiency and hereditary angioedema; A number of companies are interested in developing treatments for sickle cell disease.; Research continues on treating Alzheimer's Disease with plasma products; The impact of transfusion on outcomes in cardiac surgery remains a research interest, as does the relationship between age of red cells and surgical outcome; Researchers have investigated subsets of blood 'progenitor' cells and the signals that cause them to expand and develop into mature blood cells; The American Association of Blood Banks issued new guidelines on the level at which a patient's red blood cell count can be viewed as so low as to require a transfusion; Scientists have developed a gene therapy strategy they say could feasibly treat both β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease. 2012-05-04T00:00Z http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/mr-yr12-ck-ck015.htm Security of the national blood supply will be boosted by a new, $213 million, world–class processing facility based in Melbourne. Opening the new centre today, the Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, Catherine King, said it was the largest such facility in Australia. "This is a major enhancement to the nation's health infrastructure as it will manufacture about 30 per cent of Australia's national fresh blood supply," Ms King said. 2012-05-01T00:00Z http://www.nba.gov.au/expert/suppliers.html The 2012 Forum, held at the National Portrait Gallery on 17 April, discussed the following: possible future NBA directions, including the impact of health policy and reform; new clinical practice guidelines of blood products; development of a national data strategy for the blood sector; priorities for contract management arising from recent tenders; supplier developments in relation to barcoding/ RFID technology; possible linking of supplier systems to NBA BloodNet for product ordering. The presentations for the Forum are now available online. 2012-04-20T00:00Z http://www.nba.gov.au/tenders/index.html As part of the National Blood Authority (NBA) ongoing responsibility to monitor and manage risks in the blood sector and to ensure the maintenance of the safety of the blood supply, the NBA is seeking the services of a suitably qualified and experienced organisation to: identify core changes in the blood sector risk management operating environment between 2000 and 2012 including knowledge of risks associated with transmissible diseases, technology utilised for the management of these disease risks, governance arrangements and risk management provisions in the sector, legislation in the various Australian jurisdictions, and the scope and nature of activities now undertaken by each relevant party; identify the nature of changes made in the blood sector legal, regulatory, contractual and policy framework in response to these issues since 2000 when the National Managed Fund (NMF) was first established; identify any gaps and inconsistencies between the current blood sector risk management operational environment and processes and regulatory, financial and other risk protection provisions. 2012-04-17T00:00Z http://www.nba.gov.au/guidelines/updates.html The Review of the NHMRC ASBT Clinical Practice Guidelines on Fresh Blood Components (2001) will result in the production of six modules as part of a comprehensive, evidence-based, Patient Blood Management Guideline. 2012-03-30T00:00Z http://www.nba.gov.au/bloodnet/ The March 2012 issue of the BloodNet Newsletter is now available from the NBA website at www.nba.gov.au/bloodnet . Key stories in this issue include: Fate module, BloodNet revamp and BloodNet-LIS interfaces 2012-03-29T04:30Z http://www.nba.gov.au/ivigreview/ The National Blood Authority (NBA), on behalf of all Australian governments under the national blood arrangements, is coordinating a review of the adequacy of the current Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIg) authorisation and clinical governance arrangements. 2012-03-28T04:30Z http://www.nba.gov.au/guidelines/module4/index.html Patient Blood Management Guideline: Module 4 Critical Care is now available for public consultation. Formal Submissions will be accepted from the clinical community, interested organisations and individuals from Monday 26th March, 2012 until 5pm Friday 18th May, 2012. 2012-03-23T04:30Z http://www.nba.gov.au/guidelines/order/index.html Module 2 (Perioperative) of the Patient Blood Management Guidelines is now available in hard copy 2012-03-23T04:30Z http://www.nba.gov.au/abdr/abdr-annual-report.html The Australian Bleeding Disorders Registry Annual Report 2010-2011 has now been released. The report provides background information on bleeding disorders and the clinical and other management structures in place in Australia to assist in the treatment and management of patients with these conditions. The report describes the number of patients registered in the ABDR and those that received product during the relevant financial year and breaks this information down by diagnosis, severity, age, geographical location and product use. 2012-03-12T00:00Z http://www.transfusion.com.au/sites/default/files/Removal%20from%20quarantine%20letter.pdf Five batches of Albumex have been removed from quarantine and returned to supply. 2012-03-10T07:00Z http://www.tga.gov.au/safety/recalls-medicine-albumex-120309.htm Reference - RC-2012-RN-00257-3. The products being recalled under the Albumex range are Albumex 4 500mL, Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) AUST R 59155; Albumex 4 50mL, AUST R 59154; Albumex 20 100mL, AUST R 46283; Albumex 20 10mL, AUST R 31820. All batches manufactured prior to 25 January 2012 are affected. 2012-03-09T12:00Z http://www.nba.gov.au/guidelines/module2/index.html Module 2 (Perioperative) of the Patient Blood Management Guidelines has now been released. 2012-03-09T04:30Z http://www.tga.gov.au/safety/alerts-medicine-human-albumin-120308.htm The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has taken steps today to quarantine CSL Human Albumin solutions from further use while an assessment is undertaken of the safety of these products. All hospitals and other relevant medical organisations are being advised of this action. 2012-03-08T09:10Z http://www.nba.gov.au/guidelines/updates.html The Review of the NHMRC ASBT Clinical Practice Guidelines on Fresh Blood Components (2001) will result in the production of six modules as part of a comprehensive, evidence-based, Patient Blood Management Guideline. 2012-02-29T00:00Z http://www.nba.gov.au/employment/309.html This position is responsible for managing up to 15 contracts and maintaining relationships with the plasma and recombinant products industry as well as the Commonwealth and State and Territory jurisdictions and clinical and patient stakeholders. Your role is to provide high level leadership, strategic direction and management to a team responsible for the supply of plasma and recombinant products to meet Australian demands and to implement supply planning based upon an intense knowledge of current and future demand drivers. 2012-02-23T00:00Z http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/mr-yr12-ck-ck003.htm Mr Leigh McJames has been appointed as the new General Manager of the National Blood Authority, the Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, Catherine King, has announced. 2012-02-14T00:00Z