RACGP updates reprocessing guidelines in general practice

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has updated its Infection prevention and control guidelines (IPC Guidelines) to align with the Australian Standard AS 5369 Reprocessing of reusable medical devices and other devices in health and non-health related facilities.

The updated guidance supports a more structured, risk‑based approach to reprocessing in general practice by providing:

• practical guidance for risk assessment and workflow design

• clearer expectations for cleaning, sterilisation and monitoring processes

• strengthened guidance for training, supervision and competency

• improved requirements for traceability, validation and quality systems

An implementation period will apply until 1 January 2028. This gives general practices time to review current processes, plan for change and identify areas for improvement.

The RACGP has developed a YouTube video overview explaining the key updates, available here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VosGnUJONMY

Further information is available on the RACGP website:
https://www.racgp.org.au/running-a-practice/practice-standards/racgp-infection-prevention-and-control-guidelines/10-reprocessing-of-reusable-medical-devices-and-ot/overview-reprocessing-reusable-medical-devices

General practices seeking further information can contact the RACGP Standards team at standards@racgp.org.au.