Impact of AS 5369: 20XX Reprocessing of Reusable Medical and Other Devices in Human and Animal Health and Non-Health Related Settings on reprocessing and sterilising work practices in Office-based Practices
Terry McAuley1
1 STEAM Consulting Pty Ltd PO Box 2249 Greenvale Vic 3059
AS4187 was first published 29 years ago, in response to calls for an Australian Standard as a ‘code of practice’ for reprocessing of reusable medical devices. The impetus for the creation of this new Australian Standard came from an incident in 1989, where five patients contracted Human Immunodeficiency Virus after having a procedure in an office-based practice setting.
Publication of AS4187 generated widespread change throughout all healthcare settings as the industry grappled with specified requirements for reprocessing environments, preparation and packaging of reusable medical devices, monitoring of sterilisation processes and storage of sterilised devices. However widespread criticism of the Standard as being ‘too difficult’ or ‘too costly’ to implement from the office-based practice sector resulted in the publication of AS/NZS4815 in 2001 with a subsequent update in 2006.
With the publication of AS5369 imminent as a replacement for both AS/NZS4187 and AS/NZS4815 nearly 30 years after publication of the first edition of AS4187, it is likely that this Standard will trigger a similar transformation of the approach to reprocessing of reusable medical devices in the office-based practice setting.