Gabrielle Douglas, RACGP
 The RACGP National Research and Evaluation Ethics Committee (NREEC), first established in 1985, is one of the few ethics committees that can provide Australia wide coverage. The RACGP NREEC specifically focuses on research in the general practice and primary health care setting.
The RACGP NREEC's primary task is to assess the ethical principles and associated guidelines for research involving or impacting upon humans in the Australian primary care setting according to National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) requirements. The Committee also ensures that the welfare and rights of the participants in research are protected.
The NREEC meets in Sydney bimonthly under the direction of Professor Deborah Saltman AM from the University of Sydney. Professor Deborah Saltman replaces Professor Nick Zwar who has provided many years of leadership to the Committee. The Committee also welcomed the appointment of Professor Ian Wilson from the University of Western Sydney as the new Deputy Chair. The Committee comprises four general practitioners, three lay people, a minister of religion and a lawyer.
In 2005/06, the NREEC assessed 46 new applications for research projects involving humans in the Australian primary care setting. Of these applications 11 were studies in general practice sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, 26 were from general practitioner researchers and nine were from other institutions (including research institutes). To learn more about the RACGP NREEC, visit our website www.racgp.org.au/research
At the RACGP Annual Scientific Convention (ASC) in Brisbane (6-8 October), a research ethics workshop explored the common issues that arise in completing a human research ethics application and help participants develop skills to avoid the pitfalls that can lead to an application being rejected or approval delayed.
Gabrielle Douglas
Research Program Manager
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
E: gabrielle.douglas@racgp.org.au
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