Department of Health review of the Practice Incentives Program – Indigenous Health Incentive
RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (the Faculty) is seeking member input into the RACGP’s submission to the review of the Practice Incentives Program Indigenous Health Incentive (PIP IHI).
The Department of Health has prepared a consultation paper, which provides an overview of how the PIP IHI works and encourages respondents to think about ‘opportunities for improvement’.
The Faculty invite members to read the consultation paper and provide feedback or suggestions via the online survey, or by contacting aboriginalhealth@racgp.org.au by close of business Monday 6 May.
MammaPrint® gene profile test for early breast cancer
MammaPrint® is a gene profile test (a genomic test of breast cancer tumour cells) used in patients with early breast cancer, assessed as being at high clinical risk of cancer recurrence, to guide their decision about the use of additional (adjuvant) chemotherapy.
After considering safety, clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, The Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) of the Department of Health recently decided not to support public funding for the MammaPrint® test.
Your patients may have used or be considering using MammaPrint® and may come to you for advice. Cancer Australia has provided information to help answer health provider and patient questions. Generally, patients who have had the MammaPrint® test should be referred-back to their oncologist for further advice.
Please visit the Cancer Australia website for further information about MammaPrint® and the MSAC decision.
2019 RACGP Awards
The RACGP awards are an opportunity to recognise GPs who are dedicated to general practice in their community.
Nominations for the honorary awards are now open:
- Rose-Hunt Award 2019
- Life Fellowship Award 2019
- Honorary Membership 2019
- Honorary Fellowship Award 2019
- Corlis Award 2019
Awards for General Practice of the Year, General Practice Supervisor of the Year, General Practitioner of the Year and Registrar of the Year Award are open across all states and territories.
Nominations close 5.00 pm 17 May (AEST).
Visit the RACGP website for further information.
DynaMed Plus – A guide to additional DynaMed Plus features
RACGP members have access to DynaMed Plus, a premium point of care tool that provides accurate, evidence based content to help GPs answer clinical questions and assists decision making.
Guidance videos are now available to help members get the most out of this valuable tool in their clinical practice by explaining itsfeatures and functionality.
Watching the videos assist in utilising DynaMed Plus efficiently during your consults to assist clinical decision-making using an evidence based approach and informed patient discussion.
View the user videos and access DynaMed Plus on the library webpages - RACGP website login required.
DynaMed Plus is also available via an app for iPhones, iPads, and Android phones and devices.
RACGP eHealth webinar series: Information Security in general practice
Information security is critical to the provision of safe, high-quality healthcare and the efficient running of a general practice. It is a fixed cost of doing business to ensure business continuity and the protection of information assets.
This month the RACGP eHealth webinar series will be delivering webinars to assist GPs and general practice teams understand their information security obligations under the RACGP Standards for general practices (5th edition) as outlined in the resource Information security in general practice, released in February 2018.
Visit the RACGP website to register - a number of sessions are available. Webinars are accredited for two Category 2 RACGP QI&CPD points and are free of charge for all participants.
Webinar recordings are also made available via the RACGP website at the conclusion of each month’s sessions. The March ‘My Health Record and medico-legal concerns’ webinar is now available for viewing.
Updated information regarding measles-containing vaccination
Information in the Australian Immunisation Handbook (the Handbook) regarding measles containing vaccination has been updated.
Key information about this change:
- There has recently been an increase in the number of reported cases of measles across Australia.
- The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has considered the evidence, current recommendations and supporting information in the Handbook in relation to measles to inform public health management and protection measures.
- ATAGI currently recommends through the Handbook, a measlescontaining vaccine for the following two groups:
- children aged ≥ 12 months of age
- adolescents and adults born during or since 1966 who have not received two doses of measlescontaining vaccines. If people are uncertain whether they have had the second vaccine containing measles, they should presume they haven’t.
ATAGI maintains this recommendation.
ATAGI also considers there is evidence to indicate that infants as young as six months of age can receive a measles-containing vaccine ahead of travel to highly endemic areas and during outbreaks.
These changes can be accessed in the Handbook - under the ‘Measles’ heading, as well as the ‘Catch up vaccination’ heading.
Change to timing of pertussis vaccine administration in pregnancy
The National Immunisation Program schedule this week has changed the optimal time for administration of pertussis containing vaccine (dTpa) for pregnant women from 28-32 weeks gestation to 20-32 weeks, ideally in every pregnancy. This includes pregnancies that are closely spaced, in order to provide maximum protection to each infant.
This change is immediate, so doctors are asked to vaccinate pregnant women at their 20-week pregnancy check, if possible.
Updated information can be found on the Immunise Australia website and in the Australian Immunisation Handbook, Pertussis chapter.
RACGP employment opportunity, GP Medical Educator – CPD Program
The RACGP is currently seeking applications from Fellows of the RACGP for a GP Medical Educator – CPD Program. The appointment is part-time (0.4 FTE), fixed-term for 12 months.
The GP Medical Educator – CPD Program will review medical content of activities that are escalated through the quality assurance assessment process, the provision of advice and the undertaking of selected projects concerned with the development, implementation and maintenance of the RACGP’s CPD program.
Visit the careers section of the RACGP website for more information about the position and key selection criteria.
Submission to the Pharmacy Board of Australia on pharmacist prescribing
The RACGP has provided a submission to the Pharmacy Board of Australia consultation on proposed models for pharmacist prescribing. The proposed models are:
- prescribing under a structured prescribing arrangement
- prescribing under supervision
- autonomous prescribing.
The RACGP’s response opposes the application of all three models proposed by the Pharmacy Board of Australia in the primary care setting.
The RACGPs submission references two recently published position statements that members may also be interested in reading:
- Retail pharmacy – this position statement notes the RACGP’s concerns with moves to expand the role of community pharmacies beyond their core role, and recommends that GPs are best placed to provide health screening and prescribing services to patients.
- General practice-based pharmacists - this position statement outlines the value of including general practice-based pharmacists into a team based model of care, but notes that more robust research is required.
Aged Services Industry Reference Committee consultation
The Aged Services Industry Reference Committee is a formal channel of the Australian Industry Skills Committee, established to respond to the relevant recommendations in the Aged Care Workforce Strategy.
The Aged Services Industry Reference Committee is currently tasked with developing a stand-alone and specialised qualification, following feedback that the Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) was not adequately meeting the skills needs of workers and employers in the aged care sector.
The Aged Care Industry Reference Committee are consulting on the re-packaging of the units, and have provided a consultation guide. Additional documents related to the consultation are also available.
Members are invited to provide their feedback on the proposed ageing support qualification by Friday 3 May 2019.
Feedback can be sent to healthreform@racgp.org.au