Under the national law that regulates health practitioners, a registered practitioner must notify AHPRA if they reasonably believe another practitioner has behaved in a way that constitutes notifiable conduct:
- Practising while intoxicated by alcohol or drugs.
- Sexual misconduct in connection with practice.
- Placing the public at risk of substantial harm because of an impairment (physical or mental illness, substance use).
- Placing the public at risk through a significant departure from accepted professional standards.
There is a higher threshold for treating practitioners (a doctor treating another doctor as a patient): they must notify only if there is a substantial risk of harm to the public, so doctors are not discouraged from seeking care. Western Australia has broader exemptions for treating practitioners.
Doctors in distress can use confidential support services such as the state Doctors' Health Advisory Services.
In AMC stations about a colleague who smells of alcohol at work: ensure patient safety now, speak to them privately, involve a senior, and notify if the threshold is met.