In October 2002, the new Therapeutic Goods Act (TGA) came into effect in Australia. The act is founded on the harmonized model developed by the Global Harmonization Task Force (GHTF) with regulations largely corresponding to those in the EU.
With a well-developed health system, growing population and steadily increasing spending in the health sector, Australia is a promising market for the manufacturers of medical devices. However, for expansion onto the fifth continent, medical devices need to complete conformity assessment with a positive result.
The authority responsible for the registration of medical devices in Australia is the Therapeutic Goods Administration in short TGA. The TGA applies an extensive procedure to verify whether applicants meet the conformity requirements of Australia. If the conformity assessment procedure is completed with a positive outcome, the TGA issues the relevant certificate of conformity. As regulations in Australia are similar to those included in the EU directives for medical devices, the registration of products already certified in the EU involves only minor costs and efforts.
As Australia was one of the key players in the development of the
Medical Device Single Audit Program (MDSAP) and is one of the partners participating in the program, the TGA also recognizes MDSAP audits. In other words, manufacturers participating in the MDSAP who intend to place their devices on the Australian market do not have to undergo a TGA audit. The TGA considers the MDSAP audit reports in its conformity assessment.