AHPRA - renew your registration promptly (and other matters)

In a presentation delivered to Dental Health Services Victoria personnel and guests last night by Mr Richard Mullaly, State Manager Victoria, of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), useful insights were offered on some of the new requirements:

• registration renewal will occur on 30 November for dental practitioners who registered for the current year with the Dental Practice Board of Victoria.
• the registration fee in this first year will be adjusted to take account of the fee paid previously for the year ending 31 December
• this year, renewal must be completed by 30 November to avoid a late fee of $275 - up considerably from $85 last year
• those who miss the deadline of 30 November have only 30 days to renew with the late fee, compared with 90 days under the old Act (NB as under the previous legislation, practising while not registered will be viewed as a serious breach of professional conduct obligations)
• audits will be conducted on 5% of registered persons each year in each profession, to check their compliance with mandatory standards such as CPD. The CPD audits will not only occur when a notification (complaint) has been lodged.

AHPRA has also advertised for a "Professional Officer, Dental", with applications closing on 4 September. Eligible members are encouraged to consider applying.