Off-label prescribing in Australia

Associate Professor Bernard Shiu
Director of Geelong Long COVID Clinic and Banksia Medical Centre

Associate Professor Bernard Shiu is the Director of Geelong Long Covid Clinic and Banksia Medical Centre in Newcomb and Torquay. He was the winner of the prestigious RACGP GP of the Year Award in 2020 in Victoria. His clinic was awarded the Victorian Clinic of the Year in 2023. He was invited to speak at the Long COVID Conference in Melbourne on primary care management pathways for Long COVID. He is also a member of the National Clinical Evidence Task Force. Associate Professor Shiu established Australia's first community-based long COVID clinic in June 2022. His current main clinical and research interests are management of COVID and long COVID conditions. He is the Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Energy-Limiting and Post-Infection Conditions.

Dr Anthony Marinucci
Chair, RACGP Specific Interests Aged Care

Dr Anthony Marinucci is a generalist aged care practitioner with extensive experience in the aged care sector. He is the admitting local medical officer for multiple residential aged care facilities in Sydney and works closely with both public and private local specialist services to deliver best-practice, evidence based and multi-disciplinary care to patients. He has a special interest in the collaborative care of those people living with dementia.

Dr Karen Spielman
GP, Chair RACGP Psychological Medicine Specific Interest Group

Dr Karen Spielman is a GP and director of a small group private general practice in Sydney, where she has been for nearly 25 years, seeing many people with chronic complex issues. She has also worked in Youth Health, in various roles and settings including headspace, is GP Consultant at InsideOut Institute for Eating Disorders, and runs GP Peer Consultation Groups at ASPM. Dr Spielman holds RACGP Recognition of Extended Skills in Psychological Medicine and is Chair of the RACGP Psychological Medicine Specific Interest Group.

Dr David Fineberg
Co-Deputy Chair, RACGP Specific Interests Energy-Limiting and Post-Infection Conditions

Dr Jenny Huang
Deputy Chair, RACGP Specific Interests Energy-Limiting and Post-Infection Conditions

Dr Jenny Huang is a Geelong-based General Practitioner with a special interest in Long COVID and post-infection conditions. She is Co-Deputy Chair of the RACGP Energy-Limiting Post-Infection Conditions Specific Interest Group and is actively involved in climate and environmental medicine, social prescribing, research and clinician education. Dr Huang brings a patient-centred, sustainability and stewardship lens to off-label prescribing, focusing on whether treatment offers meaningful value, how benefits and burdens are assessed, and when an ineffective or low-value treatment should be stopped

A/Prof Rashmi Sharma OAM
Chair, RACGP Expert Committee – Funding and Health System Reform

Rashmi received her medical degree from London and obtained post-graduate qualifications in obstetrics and gynaecology, general practice and medical education in Australia. Rashmi holds several long-term Ministerial Appointments on various health committees and has a strong interest and extensive experience in advocacy, health policy and medical education. Rashmi was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2016 for her services in medicine and professional organisation.