Prof docs monthly update: June 2025

Your monthly digest of professional document developments.
Summary
There are 52 prof docs and joint statements in total, including 17 prof docs and joint statements under development/review, stakeholder consultation or pilot. In addition, there are six pain medicine (PM) prof docs and five under development/review.
Under development/review*
This section has existing versions hyperlinked.
- (PM) Scope of clinical practice for specialist pain medicine physicians (under development)
- (PM) Statement on provision of pain medicine care to children and adolescents (under development)
- (PM) Statement on multidisciplinary pain services (under development)
- PS10(PM) Statement on "Medicinal Cannabis" with particular reference to its use in the management of patients with chronic non-cancer pain and PS10(PM) BP (under review)
- PS12(PM) Position statement on the use of ketamine in the management of chronic non-cancer pain and PS12(PM) BP (under review)
*Please refer to CP24 Professional document process for further details on the internal review (IR) process.
Stakeholder consultation*
- PS08 Position statement on the assistant for the anaesthetist and PS08BP (IR)
- PS19 Position statement on monitored care by an anaesthetist and PS19BP (IR)
- PG28 Guideline on infection prevention and control in anaesthesia and PS28BP
- PG44 Guideline on advice for retraining or further training in anaesthesia and pain medicine and PG44BP
- PG46 Guideline on training and practice of perioperative cardiac ultrasound in adults and PG46BP
- PG48 Guideline on the administrative management of substance use disorder in medical practitioners in anaesthesia and pain medicine and PG48BP
- PG69 Guideline on the prevention, investigation and follow up of perioperative hypersensitivity reactions and anaphylaxis and PG69BP
*Revised documents will be published on the ANZCA website when approved for PILOT.
Pilot
- PS02 Position statement on credentialling and defining the scope of clinical practice in anaesthesia and PS02BP (ends August 2025)
- PS45 Position statement on patients' rights to pain management and associated responsibilities and PS45BP (ends August 2025)
- CP25 Policy on endorsement and support of externally developed guidelines and CP25BP (ends August 2025)
Post pilot review
- PG18 Guideline on monitoring during anaesthesia and PG18BP
- PG52 Guideline for transport of critically ill patients and PG52BP
- PG56 Guideline on equipment to manage difficult airways and PG56BP
We encourage feedback on all professional documents during the pilot phase. If you have any comments or queries regarding professional documents please email us.
Expressions of interest
We are seeking expressions of interest from fellows to participate in the review of the following professional documents:
- Environmental sustainability: the review of PS64 Position statement on environmental sustainability in anaesthesia and pain medicine practice 2019 and accompanying background paper PS64BP
- Anaesthesia delivery systems: the review of PG31 Guideline on checking anaesthesia delivery systems 2014 and accompanying background paper PG31BP. We are seeking interest from fellows with particular interest, experience or expertise in this area. Recommendations for other people with expertise, eg biomedical engineers, would also be considered.
The review of ANZCA prof docs is undertaken by a document development group (DDG) made up of fellows with expertise and knowledge aligned to the particular document. DDG members may include non-anaesthetists to provide external perspectives where applicable and collaborate to develop and review professional documents via email and zoom meetings at times that fit their schedules.
Serving as a DDG member provides a valuable opportunity to contribute to safety and quality of care for patients.
If you are interested in being nominated for the aforementioned prof doc DDGs, please email us for further information.
Expressions of interest - FPM
We’re looking for FPM fellows to help contribute to:
- The development of a new statement on spinal cord stimulation
Contact the faculty for more information.