Medication questions for assisted dying While Victoria’s Voluntary Assisted Dying bill successfully passed the state’s Lower House last week, it still faces a number of challenges before becoming law – not least when it comes to the practical matter of medication.
Productivity Commission report recognises importance of general practice in Australian healthcare The Productivity Commission’s latest report, released to the public yesterday, contains detailed recommendations for a significant overhaul of Australia’s health system, including strong recognition of the importance of preventive and primary care.
GPs criticise Pharmacy Guild on codeine rescheduling Prominent GP Dr Evan Ackermann is critical of the Pharmacy Guild’s recent action of sending a letter to Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt seeking to maintain over-the-counter access to codeine-based medications.
The conversation around death and dying With Victorian Government’s proposed ‘Voluntary assisted dying’ bill set to be debated in parliament this week, prominent GP and past President of AMA Victoria, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, argues that safeguards in the bill may not be adequate to protect a vulnerable patient population.
After-hours care not value for money The current structure of after-hours healthcare provision in Australia ‘supports the provision of comparatively low-value medical care and does not represent value for money for the taxpayer’, the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Review Taskforce has found in its final report.
Assisted dying laws passed Victoria has passed a historic assisted dying bill this morning following a marathon parliamentary session that lasted more than 24 hours.
Vic Government fails to reach firm decision on safe injecting room Labor has refused to reveal its final decision after Legislative Council of the Victorian Parliament yesterday debated MP Fiona Patten’s bill to implement a pilot of a medically-supervised injecting room in Richmond.
Calls continue for Richmond safe injecting room While debate continues to rage over the possible implementation of a safe-injecting room in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Richmond, with the subject to be debated in Victorian parliament today, GPs in the area are administering life-saving healthcare services to drug-affected people in and out of their practices
After-hours services facing ‘day of reckoning’ The RACGP has welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to launch an investigation into after-hours medical services following News Corp reports it is using unqualified doctors to treat patients.