Australia’s first fixed pill-testing site opens in ACT The Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Addiction Medicine has welcomed the ‘highly significant’ launch, which is part of a six-month trial.
Changes to ‘redundant’ prescription monitoring services GPs will no longer be able to register for the Prescription Shopping Information Service using a hard copy form.
Prescriber shock: ‘My patient is lying to me’ Real-time prescription monitoring is no silver bullet, but GPs can use it to help patients make better health choices, writes Dr Hester Wilson.
New online benzodiazepine hub hopes to reduce harms The resources provide guidance and support for the management of benzodiazepine dependence and misuse in primary care.
Weaning plans at heart of new opioid care standard The guidelines, the first national clinical care standard for prescription opioid use in acute care, are designed to minimise the risks of harm.
Opioid deaths show importance of prescription monitoring: Coroner In two reports, a Tasmanian coroner said prescribers should be signed up to real time prescription monitoring and check current authorities.
Study finds statin intolerance overestimated and overdiagnosed Fewer than 10% of patients prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs experience side effects, according to the world’s largest study on statin intolerance.
HANDI site ‘more complete’ with new patient resources The new resources complement existing resources within HANDI and are aimed at helping GPs provide non-drug intervention-based care.
Why HANDI resource is underutilised Patients and doctors could both benefit from greater adoption of non-drug interventions, writes Professor Paul Glasziou.
Opioid treatment study ‘may impact’ future Australian guidelines Results from a clinical trial of extended-release buprenorphine injections reveal high retention and treatment satisfaction.