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To become an APD in Australia, a dietitian must have graduated from an accredited Australian university dietetic courses. Dietitians who trained overseas must complete an examination process before being eligible to join the APD program.

Assess nutritional needs

Develop personalised eating plans that consider medical conditions and personal circumstances Provide nutrition counselling and support to individuals and groups Provide information on healthy eating, shopping for food, eating out and preparing food at home Undertake nutrition and food research Train health care professionals Develop nutrition communications, programs and policies Provide consultancy services to corporate organisations, food manufacturers, schools and health care facilities.

APDs help treat a wide range of conditions including diabetes, heart disease, cancers, gastrointestinal diseases, food allergies, food intolerance’s, disordered eating as well as overweight and obesity.

APDs understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to diet and nutrition (in other words, what works for one person may be different to what works for another). And the truth is that there are many ways for people to have a healthy diet. And it’s at this individual level that an APD can help. They consider the whole person – that is, each person’s unique profile, such as their medical history, as well as their needs, goals and lifestyle. They also assess the body of scientific evidence, and are flexible with the advice and support they offer, on a case-by-case basis. Being able to tailor nutrition advice to find the best approach for each person is the cornerstone of ‘Medical Nutrition Therapy’ – it’s what APDs are qualified to do.

The APD credential is a public guarantee of nutrition and dietetic expertise. It is the only credential recognised by the Australian Government, Medicare, the Department of Veterans Affairs and most private health funds as the quality standard for nutrition and dietetics services in Australia. It is a recognised trademark protected by law.

APDs are nutrition scientists with a minimum of four years’ university study behind them. They take very seriously their responsibility of providing evidence-based nutrition advice and support. This means Australians can be confident that advice from an APD is solid and trustworthy.

Medicare provides rebates for visits to APDs treating chronic health conditions (such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer) under a care plan coordinated by a general practitioner. Visits to private practising APDs are also covered by most private health funds. Medicare rebates are now also available for group services provided by eligible APDs, diabetes educators and exercise physiologist for people with type 2 diabetes, on referral from a general practitioner. Contact Medicare or your private health fund for further information about rebates.

The fee for your initial consultation is $79.00 and $55.00 for all review or follow-up consultations. Medicare provides rebates of $53.95 for each medicare referred consultation, therefore there is a small gap payment of $25.05 for the initial consultation and $1.05 for follow-up consultations. Healthcare card holders and pensioners are bulk billed. All Medicare referred telehealth or telephone services are also bulk billed. Private health insurance also rebates for Accredited Practicing Dietetic services, but the rebate depends on your specific private health insurer and your level of cover.