Media Releases

The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) has called on the Government to end the freeze on Medicare rebates for pathology testing which has been in place for over 20 years.  This follows the announcement from the Government that the current indexation freeze on all GP services on the MBS will be lifted from 1 July 2019, along with various diagnostic testing rebates from 1 July 2020.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Associate Professor Shokoofeh Shamsi, a speaker at the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia’s (RCPA) annual conference, ‘Pathology Update 2019 – The Power of Personalised Pathology’, which will take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) this weekend, will discuss her new research¹, published this month, on seafood-borne parasitic diseases.

The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) has released a new position statement on the significance of genetic testing to predict a patient’s response to drugs, also known as pharmacogenetics. The RCPA is advocating for a collaborative approach with medical colleges and the wider medical profession, the Government, educators, and researchers, with the aim of creating national guidelines that will facilitate the safe and appropriate introduction of pharmacogenetics in Australia. By using pharmacogenetic testing, a clinician can align a prescription with the patient’s potential for a beneficial or adverse response to a drug.

The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) strongly supports the Government's National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (the Program), and encourages individuals who are in the eligible age group criteria to utilise the kits they receive.

The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) strongly supports the Government's greater focus on genomics in the Budget.  This follows the RCPA's successful application to the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) to introduce wider giagnostic testing in cystic fibrosis (CF).