Why Does ARTG Listing Matter?
The Therapeutic Goods Administration is an Australian governmental agency concerned with the regulation of medical drugs and devices. They measure all over-the-counter and prescription medicines against a standard of quality, safety, and efficacy. Medicines may be registered, meaning they're marked with an AUST R and thoroughly evaluated before being marketed to the public, or medicines may be licensed, meaning they're marked with an AUST L and subject to random audits while available.
Home Pregnancy Tests and Home Ovulation Tests are required to be listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG).
Please ensure that the pregnancy tests and ovulation tests that you purchase are listed on the ARTG.
Be Aware - Buyer Beware
Pregnancy tests have been available for purchase online for several years now. In Australia, sellers offering pregnancy tests are required to display the pregnancy tests' AUST L number in order to prove the test in question is actually legal for use in Australia. However, there are a few things consumers should know when they're trying to choose pregnancy tests, or any other medically-relevant materials, for purchase online.
The TGA publicly lists all registered and licensed products on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, and also lists the registered brand name of the test, as no two products can share the same AUST L number. If you find pregnancy tests online, for example, you can scan the product description on the site for the AUST L number, go to the TGA.gov.au website, select "Search the product register (ARTG)" in the upper right-hand corner, and then use the Search function on the ARTG site to find out the registered name and brand owner of the test for sale.
Why is this an important step? Searching for the listed AUST L number (indicated on the ARTG site as the ARTG Id) allows you, first and foremost, to discover whether or not the pregnancy tests you're considering for purchase are actually legal for use in Australia. If the AUST L number of the pregnancy tests doesn't give a result on the ARTG site, there's a good chance it isn't listed by the TGA.
It's also become common practice for shysters on eBay to "steal" legitimate AUST L numbers for their own use. To use pregnancy tests as an example again, you would be wise to search the ARTG site for the AUST L numbers found on multiple different listings. This way, you can be sure the sellers are not copying and pasting another product's AUST L number in the hopes of selling you defective, unapproved, or potentially harmful pregnancy tests.
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