February 2018

Abstract submissions for GP18 close Sunday 4 March 2018 (AEST). Don’t miss the opportunity to present to your peers at the most popular event for GPs in 2018. The GP18 Scientific Committee is calling for 15-minute, 30-minute and one-hour oral and poster presentations. GP18 will take place on the Gold Coast from 11–13 October. Visit the  GP18 website  for more information.

GPs and registrars with an interest in ultrasound can learn more about this effective diagnostic tool at one of six workshops held throughout Australia. RACGP Rural is offering a series of Introduction to point-of-care ultrasound for GPs workshops across the country in the coming weeks. Each workshop will be available for members in Darwin, Bunbury, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Burnie. This Active Learning Module provides participants with an opportunity to identify practical applications of ultrasound technology in primary care and to use point-...

Expressions of interest for residents and interns wishing to apply for the 2019 Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) program are now open. By submitting an expression of interest with the RACGP, you will receive the latest news and updates prior to applications opening. Applications for selection into the 2019 AGPT Program open at 10am Monday 26 March 2018 (AEDT) and close at 10am on Monday 30 April 2018 (AEST). Visit the  RACGP’s AGPT webpage  to submit an expression of interest or view the comprehensive 2019 AGPT selection guide.

The Australian Diabetes Society has advised of recent reports where patients with type 2 diabetes are taking sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) medications developing severe acidosis requiring ICU/HDU admission during the peri-operative period. SGLT2i are oral medications for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and include dapagliflozin (Forxiga), empagliflozin (Jardiance), or a combination with metformin (Xigduo, Jardiamet). Severe diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) can occur where the blood glucose level is < 16 mmol/L. This risk is increa...

The RACGP invites members to participate in a series of obesity management webinars running from 3 May – 21 June. The obesity webinars are aimed at assisting GPs in raising the issue of weight and its effect on patient wellbeing in a sensitive and non-judgemental manner. The webinars will also provide GPs with some helpful tools, and in particular identify which pregnant women with obesity are high-risk and require referral to an appropriate service. The webinars will be held from 7 – 9pm (AEST) on the following Thursdays: 3 May – Psychotherapy ...

Abstract submission for GP18 is now open. The GP18 Scientific Committee is calling for 15-minute, 30-minute and one-hour oral or research and poster presentations. The call for abstracts will close at 11.59 pm, Sunday 4 March 2018 (AEST). Don’t miss the opportunity to present to your peers at the most popular event for GPs in 2018. GP18 will take place on the Gold Coast from 11–13 October. Visit the  GP18 website  for more information.

The GP Aged Care Access Incentive was put in place to encourage GPs to provide ongoing services in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). It has been an important resource for supporting GPs to remain involved in the aged care sector and improve the health and wellbeing of older Australians. The RACGP is concerned about the absorption of the GP Aged Care Access Incentive into the Quality Improvement (QI) incentive as part of the reform of the Practice Incentives Program, which will remove incentives for individual GPs providing care in RACFs. We...

Zostavax® is now available nationally for people aged 70-79 years. The vaccine is readily accessible to GPs and other immunisation providers. A free shingles vaccine program has been funded under the Australian Government’s National Immunisation Program (NIP) since November 2016 for 70-year-olds, with a time-limited catch-up program for people 71–79 years old until October 2021. To assist in promoting the program and ensuring people 70–79 years old are protected against shingles, it is now timely for GPs and other providers to: follow up with pat...