Custodial health in Australia: Tips for providing healthcare to people in prison
Treating patients who are in prison poses some specific challenges for medical practitioners and takes place in a unique environment.
The RACGP’s new resource, Custodial health in Australia: Tips for providing healthcare to people in prison, is a practical guide for GPs, and includes tips to support good practice in custodial settings.
Visit the RACGP website to download the custodial health resource.
Expansion of the Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Initiative
The Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) initiative has provided fully subsidised CGM products to children and young people under 21 years of age with type 1 diabetes.
From 1 March 2019, the Australian Government expanded the initiative to include fully subsidised CGM products to the following groups of people:
- Children and young people with conditions very similar to type 1 diabetes who require insulin;
- Women with type 1 diabetes who are actively planning pregnancy, are pregnant or immediately post-pregnancy; and
- People with type 1 diabetes aged 21 years or older who have concessional status, and have a high clinical need to access CGM products.
Visit the NDSS website for further information about the CGM initiative, including the full eligibility criteria, list of available products, and application process.
Pharmacy Board of Australia: Consultation on pharmacist prescribing
The RACGP is preparing a submission to the Pharmacy Board consultation on pharmacist prescribing and is seeking your feedback as part of this process.
The discussion paper outlines three models for pharmacist prescribing. Further information is available on the RACGP consultation page.
The RACGP’s position is that prescribing by non-medical practitioners should only occur as part of a medically led team-based model of care where prescribing occurs under the direction and supervision of a medical practitioner. Our submission will also draw on our position statement on The expanding role of pharmacists in primary healthcare.
Please send your feedback to healthreform@racgp.org.au by Wednesday 27 March 2019.
Everyone has the right to a healthy future – Close the Gap Day 2019
For over 10 years, many thousands of Australians have shown their support for Close the Gap by marking National Close the Gap Day each March.
This year, National Close the Gap Day is on Thursday 21 March 2019.
Close the Gap Day is an opportunity to send our governments a clear message that Australians value health equality as a fundamental right for all.
Support for the Close the Gap Campaign is measured in part through the number of events held throughout the week. On National Close the Gap Day, we encourage you to host an activity in your practice, workplace or community.
Visit the Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR) website to register your event and for further information and resources.
Preventing Overdiagnosis Conference
The 7th international Preventing Overdiagnosis scientific conference, hosted by Wiser Healthcare, will be held in Sydney, 5-7 December 2019.
Bringing some of the world’s leading experts on overdiagnosis to Australian shores, this event will be a thought-provoking exploration of what is causing overdiagnosis, where and how it is happening, and how health professionals can address it.
The conference explores commercial drivers of overdiagnosis and commercial determinants of health, overdiagnosis and the media, addressing overdiagnosis and overtreatment in musculoskeletal conditions, and more.
Preventing Overdiagnosis will host a range of keynote speakers. Speakers include Associate Professor Anna Stavdal, President-Elect of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) and Dr Fiona Godlee, Editor-in-chief, BMJ.
Visit the Preventing Overdiagnosis conference to register and for more information.
Abstract submissions close 30 April 2019.
RACGP White Paper – Vision for general practice and a sustainable healthcare system for member input
The RACGP has released the White Paper – Vision for general practice and a sustainable healthcare system (the Vision) for the purpose of gathering member input and stakeholder feedback.
The White Paper presents an updated version of the Vision, originally published in 2015. The model presented in the White Paper takes into account the changes that have occurred since publication of the 2015 Vision, and builds on the key mechanisms required for addressing the pressures facing Australian general practice.
Feedback can be provided on the Vision White Paper via the consultation survey. Consultation on the Vision White Paper will close on Sunday 31 March 2019.
Any questions regarding the Vision White Paper can be directed to advocacy@racgp.org.au.