June 2018

Fellows, Members and Registrar Associates are reminded that voting for the RACGP President-elect closes on  Monday 2 July at 5.00pm AEST. The Australian Election Company has sent all eligible members an email reminder this morning with voting instructions, which includes a unique, random password and a link to the voting website. If eligible members are having trouble locating the email,  please check the spam or junk folder of your inbox.  Strict settings on a spam filter can capture the voting email. In the event you have any difficulty with vo...

The Department of Human Services Prescription Shopping Alert Service (PSAS) assesses a subset of patients who meet the Prescription Shopping Program criteria each month. It currently sends letters to a patient and their prescribers if there are concerns the patient is accessing medicines in excess of their medical need. RACGP members are advised that, from 1 July, the Department of Human Services will only send letters to prescribers. The prescriber letter will continue to provide information on the medicines supplied to the patient over a three-mo...

The  Federal Government announced  a gradual lifting of the five-year Medicare freeze as part of its 2017–18 budget, and from 1 July Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) group A1 – GP attendances or consultation items, which include the most commonly claimed items – will be indexed. Listed below is the dollar value (before and after indexation) of the three most commonly used consultation items: Item 23: $37.60 (previously $37.05) Item 36: $72.80 (previously $71.70) Item 44: $107.15 (previously $105.55) Visit  MBS Online  for more information.  ...

The  Childhood National Immunisation Schedule Changes  will take effect on 1 July. The schedule changes will affect the six-month, 12-month and 18-month schedule points. Changes to the childhood immunisation schedule aim to improve protection against meningococcal, pneumococcal and Haemophilus influenzae type b diseases.  In addition, maternal pertussis (DTPa) vaccination for pregnant women has been listed on the National Immunisation Program (NIP) to guarantee its ongoing access and availability. Educational and promotional resources for vaccinat...

In early June, the Federal Chief Medical Officer  sent letters to the 20% of GPs who have the highest rates of opioid prescriptions . In total, more than 3400 urban and 1400 rural and remote GPs have received (or will receive) a letter from the DoH comparing their prescribing rate to their peers. The department will monitor opioid prescribing over the next 12 months to determine the effect of the letter campaign. This follows a similar campaign in 2017 which targeted prescription of antibiotics. The DoH will monitor opioid prescribing over the next ...

Fellows, Members and Registrar Associates are reminded that voting for the RACGP President-elect closes Monday 2 July at 5.00pm AEST. The Australian Election Company has emailed voting instructions to eligible members, which includes a unique, random password and a link to the voting website. If eligible members are having trouble locating the email, please look at the spam or junk folder of your inbox. Strict settings on a spam filter can capture the voting email. Should you have any difficulty with voting, please contact the help desk at Austral...

The RACGP’s ongoing  community awareness campaign  highlights the value of general practice in our community, reinforcing the breadth and depth of GPs’ interactions with patients and the reasons no one knows Australian patients like their GP knows them. RACGP members are invited to use campaign materials and join us in highlighting the value of general practice, and the importance of education and learning gained through membership and association with the RACGP. Campaign materials available to RACGP members include posters, social media cover ...

Voting for the RACGP President-elect will open on Friday 22 June and close on Monday 2 July at 5.00pm AEST. Only Fellows, Members and Registrar Associates may vote to elect the President.  Voting will be conducted on a secure external voting website by the RACGP’s Returning Officer, the Australian Election Company. A preferential voting system will be used. The Australian Election Company will email voting instructions to eligible members. This will include a unique, random password and a link to the voting website. Should you have any difficulty...