General practitioners, educators and students continue to successfully adapt to uncertainty and new challenges, be they clinical, contextual or COVID-19-related.

While the pandemic has profoundly affected medical services and education, general practitioners are uniquely placed to observe, to think and to respond.

Challenges that multiple sclerosis presents include early detection, awareness of new therapies, work with multidisciplinary teams and its long-term management as a chronic disease.

Challenges that multiple sclerosis presents include early detection, awareness of new therapies, work with multidisciplinary teams and its long-term management as a chronic disease.

The postnatal period is a hugely rewarding part of clinical practice and potentially a time for establishing trusting and long-term therapeutic relationships in partnership with new parents.

The postnatal period is a hugely rewarding part of clinical practice and potentially a time for establishing trusting and long-term therapeutic relationships in partnership with new parents.

Antibiotic stewardship sits at the front line of the global challenge of antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotic stewardship sits at the front line of the global challenge of antibiotic resistance.

The success of the nation’s COVID-19 vaccine program reflects the trust the people of Australia have in their general practices and their general practitioners.

This month’s issue spotlights a common movement disorder in general practice – Parkinson’s disease – in addition to discussing assessment of gait and the importance of posture.

Parkinson’s disease is now recognised as a whole-body disorder, not a motor disorder with accompanying non-motor features.

Hepatitis C virus treatment is an effective illustration of the significant benefits of robust general practice delivering positive health outcomes to patients who were previously excluded.

The Focus articles in this issue provide updates on fatty liver disease and the treatment of hepatitis C virus in general practice, and information on communicating with patients about medications.

Professional and research articles explore the new Australian guidelines on familial hypercholesterolaemia, while articles on myeloproliferative neoplasms and HbA1c provide clinical guidance.

It is the ability of primary care specialists to manage all aspects of a patient’s health that is associated with critically important positive outcomes on an individual and societal basis.