Australians with medical implants like plates, stents and pelvic mesh could soon have their devices tracked with a barcode system under a new plan.
Federal regulators have acknowledged that patient safety needed to be boosted after an investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and the ABC found severe problems with a range of medical devices, including pelvic mesh and breast implants.
Deputy secretary of the federal Health Department Professor John Skerritt said the Therapeutic Goods Administration's (TGA) plan would ensure patient safety came first.