- Status Pre-assessment
- Type New application
- Pre-PASC consultation Open
- Pre-MSAC consultation -
- Outcome Pending
Application details
Applicant
Reason for application
New Medicare Benefits Schedule item.
Service or technology in this application
An oral food allergen challenge (OFC) is a procedure where small and gradually increasing amounts of the food a patient is allergic to, is fed to that patient whilst under medical supervision. The patient is monitored to determine if the food being tested causes an allergic reaction. OFC's are a four hour procedure as the patient must be closely observed during the administration of the food, and for at least 2 hours after the last dose of the food. OFC's are mainly used to confirm a diagnosis of food allergy when the patient's history or allergy tests are unclear, and to determine whether a patient has outgrown their food allergy.
Type: Investigative
Medical condition this application addresses
An allergy occurs when a person's immune system reacts to substances that are harmless to most people. With food allergy, a person's immune system reacts to the protein (usually) in a food. When a person with food allergy eats food containing their allergen, they can develop an allergic reaction causing symptoms ranging from mild to moderate, or severe (known as anaphylaxis). Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency that needs immediate treatment with adrenaline (epinephrine). If left untreated, anaphylaxis can result in fatality. Food allergy can develop at any age. It occurs in around 10% of babies, 6.5% of children at 6 and 10 years of age, and about 5% of children at age 14. Although food allergy can be 'outgrown', around 2-4% of adults in Australia will still have a food allergy and some adults will develop a food allergy in their adult years. The most common food allergies are cow's milk (dairy), egg, peanut, tree nuts, sesame, soy, fish, shellfish and wheat.
Application documents
Application summary
PICO set
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Consultation survey and deadlines
The following consultation deadlines apply:
- Pre-PASC consultation deadline: Friday 11 July 2025 11:59pm AEDT
- Pre-MSAC consultation deadline:
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Meetings to consider this application
This application will be considered at the following meetings:
- PASC meeting: 15 August 2025
- ESC meeting:
- MSAC meeting:
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Outcome details
The outcome of this application is pending.
More information
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