Independent Member for Kooyong, Dr Monique Ryan, has renewed her call for an urgent parliamentary inquiry into Australia's online healthcare market, after a Victorian coroner found that actor Richard Norton's death was triggered by unapproved peptides prescribed to him by a doctor.
On Wednesday, Coroner David Ryan found that Mr Norton, 75, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest after injecting CJC-1295 and ipamorelin sourced from an interstate compounding pharmacy. Neither agent has TGA approval. This is believed to be the first confirmed death in Australia from unapproved peptide use. The coroner has recommended that the TGA consider tougher restrictions on these products.
"My thoughts are with Mr Norton's family," Dr Ryan said. "His death should be a turning point.
"An expert told the Medical Board there was insufficient evidence that these peptides are safe, effective or beneficial for human use. But the Board found it was reasonable for a doctor to prescribe them. The system allowed it. That's the problem.
"The TGA regulates products; AHPRA regulates individual doctors, and nobody regulates the business models driving this market. That gap needs to be closed by Parliament."
Mr Norton's death is not an isolated case. Peptide-related presentations to emergency departments are increasing. Contaminated injections have led to skin grafts and amputations.
"Influencers are selling these products to young Australians, particularly young men struggling with their body image," Dr Ryan said.
"I wrote to the Health Minister in August asking him to refer telehealth and online prescribing to the House Health Committee. Since then a coroner has confirmed a death, and the harm keeps growing. Telehealth has transformed access to care, particularly for rural patients, women and people who can't easily see a doctor in person. But there are concerns about commercially-driven telehealth models, and the unregulated prescribing of some medications. This inquiry is about protecting good telehealth from profit-driven prescribing, not winding it back.
"The Government should refer this issue to the Health Committee now."
The inquiry Dr Ryan has proposed would examine:
vertically integrated telehealth, pharmacy and retail models
oversight of prescribing for medicines with high potential for misuse or harm
the pathways that allow unapproved peptides to be prescribed and compounded
gaps in regulatory responsibility between the TGA, AHPRA and the states
