Factsheets
Who's who in the Blood Sector
Australian, State and Territory governments
The Australian government is responsible for setting health policy at a national level,
planning the delivery of health systems and providing funding to State and Territory
governments to run those programs.
State and Territory governments are responsible for setting health policy at a state
level, planning the delivery of health services, ensuring services meet community
needs, monitoring the public health system and providing funding to stakeholders to
run health programs.
Signatories to the National Blood Agreement
As signatories to the National Blood Agreement, State, Territory and the Australian
governments are responsible for:
- establishing the policy framework and specific policies relating to the national
blood supply;
- oversighting the National Blood Authority’s management of the blood supply;
- fostering the development and implementation of best practice systems to promote efficient use and minimal wastage;
- providing information in relation to demand for blood and blood products; and
- managing local issues such as those involving clinical practice.
National Blood Authority
The National Blood Authority manages the national planning and purchasing of blood
and blood products on behalf of all Australian Governments. Specifically NBA’s role
is to:
- coordinate national demand and supply planning of blood and blood products
and purchase those products on behalf of all Australian governments;
- negotiate and manage contracts on behalf of all States and Territories, and
the Australian government with suppliers of blood and blood products to
enable the development of an agreed single national pricing schedule;
- implement an efficient demand-driven system, based upon evidence and
good clinical practice, so that the blood supply system is highly responsive to
needs; and
- work in a collaborative manner with all governments and other responsible
parties to ensure that Australia's blood supply is safe, secure, adequate and
affordable.
Therapeutic Goods Administration
The regulator for blood and blood products in Australia, the Therapeutic Goods
Administration (TGA) is responsible for:
- regulating the sector in terms of the efficacy, safety and quality of blood and blood products under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989;
- auditing of Good Manufacturing Practice;
- product recalls;
- modifications to safety standards; and
- issuing directives such as donor deferral.
Suppliers of blood and blood products
The NBA contracts with a number of suppliers of blood and blood products such as:
- The Australian Red Cross Blood Service (ARCBS) which is responsible for
the collection of blood and plasma from donors and the distribution of fresh
and some plasma and imported blood products, and
- CSL Limited which is responsible for fractionating the plasma supplied by the
January 6, 2009tribution.
- Other pharmaceutical companies who are responsible for the supply and
some distribution of a range of imported or defined blood products not
produced within Australia and where domestic production capacity cannot
meet demand. These companies include: Baxter Healthcare Pty Ltd, Wyeth
Australia Pty Ltd, Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd and Octapharma
(Australia) Pty Ltd.
- Diamed Australia Pty Ltd, Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics (Johnson & Johnson
Company) and Australian Laboratory Services Pty Ltd supply diagnostic
reagent products by Standing Offer.
