Surge in working-age people avoiding GP care due to cost More than 15% of patients aged 25–34 are holding off on a visit to their GP, reflecting the cohort’s absence from bulk-billing incentives.
RACGP pushes for changes to Medicare Safety Net As patients on low incomes continue to forego care due to out-of-pocket costs, the RACGP is urging for safety net thresholds to be lowered.
‘The system let him down’ One mother shares the story of her son who died aged 26 from long-term effects of alcohol, saying there were failings in the health system to connect him with appropriate care.
Calls for online register to raise drug reaction reporting With adverse reactions going under-reported by patients, researchers say a new digital tool could be key to tracking the scale of the problem.
In Practice: RACGP seeking new dermatology Chair Nominations are open for a new Specific Interests Dermatology Chair, for RACGP Fellows or members registered with AHPRA as specialist GPs.
‘Extremely worrying’ spike in kids swallowing others’ medicines In a poignant reminder for GPs, a new US study found double the amount of children are having seizures after ingesting prescription medications or illicit drugs.
First ever COPD Clinical Care Standard launched The new guideline includes step-by-step recommendations for both GPs and patients to help manage the often-debilitating condition.
In Practice: Medication management at transitions of care GPs can help shape the framework to optimise the use of medicines at transitions of care and reduce risk of medication-related harm.
GPs’ naloxone reminder amid rising opioid overdoses GPs must have ‘non-judgemental, matter-of-fact conversations’ about the life-saving medicine, says a harm-reduction advocate.
Patients under-reporting adverse drug reactions: Study Despite many Australians knowing they can report ADRs, notification rates are low, especially when using digital reporting tools.