The Australian Government has introduced changes to its Personal Importation Scheme to improve the identification of imported therapeutic goods and reduce the risk of unidentified, mislabelled or counterfeit products entering the country.
According to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the scheme permits individuals to import certain therapeutic goods that are not included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), subject to specified conditions. Under the updated requirements, medicines imported through the scheme should, where possible, remain in their original packaging, including dispensing labels and other product information needed to identify the goods accurately.
The changes also clarify the scope of therapeutic goods covered by the scheme, including products imported for therapeutic purposes such as contraceptives and testing kits, shares the TGA. They further define who may be considered an immediate family member and outline evidence requirements for travellers entering Australia with prescription-only medicines.
The measures are intended to strengthen oversight of personal imports and assist authorities in determining whether goods comply with the scheme. The TGA states that non-compliant imports may be seized, while businesses that unlawfully import therapeutic goods may face compliance or enforcement action.
Aesthetics reached out to the TGA, and a spokesperson commented, “The Personal Importation Scheme allows consumers to import certain therapeutic goods for personal use, subject to legislative requirements, but not for sale or supply to others. In September, the Australian Government introduced changes to strengthen the scheme, improve product identification and reduce risks from unidentified, mislabelled or counterfeit goods. These amendments support safer personal importation while maintaining access for consumers who lawfully import therapeutic goods for personal use.”