NEW HORIZONS IN UNIFIED ORAL HEALTH CARE Opening Horizons Across Australia, in oral health practice, opportunities and innovation
With
Cheryl Dey,
Oral Hygienist &
President, Oral Health Association of Australia (OHAA)
Nathan Clarke,
Chief Executive Officer,
Oral Health Association of Australia (OHAA)
SEGMENT
Filmed in Gold Coast | October 2025
The Oral Health Association of Australia (OHAA) is the peak professional association representing Oral Health Practitioners (dental hygienists, dental therapists and oral health therapists) to support and promote the continued growth and development of oral health across Australia.
OHAA was formed following the vote in December 2024 by the ADOHTA and DHAA members to form one new professional association. The Board Directors and Regional Committees are volunteers who work clinically or in the oral health profession and combined with their staff, direct their time and efforts to serving OHAA members and oral health in the community with passion and dedication.
In October 2025, OHAA held its inaugural Congress as a new association entity to celebrate and advance the shared goals of the oral health workforce and community. This year’s Congress was held to foster learning, collaboration, and growth in the field of oral health.
With the theme ”Opening Horizons Across Australia”, the Congress aimed to show the associations and its member collective commitment to broadening the scope of oral health practice, exploring new opportunities, driving innovation, and connecting professionals across the country in meaningful ways.
Australian Health Journal was invited to the Congress and met with the OHAA President and CEO.
Source: Adapted from OHAA website by AUDIENCED
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Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite on patient safety and health systems improvement
Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite is Founding Director of the Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Director of the Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science and Professor of Health Systems Research at Macquarie University.
Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite is a leading health services and systems researcher with an international reputation for his work investigating and contributing to systems improvement.
The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA) recently announced it will award the 2021 Sidney Sax medal for outstanding contributions to the development and improvement of Australia’s healthcare system to Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite.
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Developing the next generation of medicines to target and enhance the microbiome
Australian Health Journal spoke to Associate Professor Sam Forster, Research Group Head
Microbiota and Systems Biology, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Team Leader, Australian Microbiome Culture Collection & Chief Scientific Officer, BiomeBank and Dr Sam Costello, Co-Founder and CEO of BiomeBank about the microbiome, partnering and some of the breakthroughs in recent years. -
Pharmacist Prescribing Model gets further support from state health
A full scope pharmacist prescriber model allows pharmacists to independently prescribe medicines within their professional competence, without requiring prior doctor authorisation. It extends pharmacists’ role beyond dispensing to include assessment, diagnosis of minor and chronic conditions, initiation and modification of therapy, and ongoing patient monitoring. This model integrates pharmacists into primary care teams, aiming to improve timely access to treatment, reduce pressure on general practitioners, and enhance continuity of care. Pharmacists use their clinical knowledge, patient records, and collaborative pathways to ensure safe prescribing. The model emphasises training, regulation, and accountability to maintain high standards of patient safety.
