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In Practice: Opportunity to expand skills in AOD training
GPs can also learn more about the new vaping prescribing laws coming into effect, and upcoming RACGP Rural events.
RACGP members can connect and upskill with a number of upcoming webinars.
This week’s round up includes the information GPs need to know about the new vaping prescribing laws, upcoming educational webinars, the college’s position on life insurance codes of practice, and available committee positions.
Nicotine vaping products prescription only from 1 October
Recent legislative changes mean that from 1 October, people will need a valid prescription from their GP to legally obtain nicotine vaping products (NVPs), which include e-cigarettes, pods, and liquid nicotine.
The RACGP cautiously supports the use of NVPs for smoking cessation after first-line evidence-based treatments have been tried.
Currently there are no NVPs approved or registered with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for therapeutic purposes. GPs who choose to prescribe NVPs can access these through the TGA’s Special Access Scheme or Authorised Prescriber Scheme.
NVPs meeting TGA standards will be stocked in Australian pharmacies. A broad range of NVPs are also available overseas, but the RACGP cautions that these products offer no consistency in terms of the quality, concentration of nicotine, type of tank or device, addition of flavourings, or the volume of the product being prescribed.
The RACGP’s Supporting smoking cessation: A guide for health professionals provides recommendations on safe prescribing of NVPs.
RACGP submission on Life Insurance Code of Practice
In August 2021, the Financial Services Council (FSC) released the draft Life Insurance Code of Practice 2.0 for public consultation, following an independent re-structure and plain English rewrite.
The Code is mandatory for all FSC member life insurers and provides consumer protections across dealings with life insurance companies.
The RACGP provided a submission on the draft Code in September. The submission welcomes the new content in the Code around supporting vulnerable customers, while also addressing issues around transparency in decision-making and medical evidence requirements for a life insurer to cease surveillance of a customer.
More information is available in the submission on the RACGP website.
Spaces available for AOD Treatment Skills Training
The Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) GP Education Program − Treatment Skills Training is a practical course focusing on consultation skills and AOD clinical knowledge, designed to enhance GPs’ ability to talk about alcohol and drug use with their patients.
The training aims to provide busy GPs with practical tips that can be incorporated into practice.
A $1200 grant payment will be awarded on completion of training.
More information and to apply is available on the RACGP website.
This Rural Life launch
Join RACGP President Dr Karen Price, RACGP Rural and RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health for the launch of ‘This Rural Life’.
The new project aims to put the spotlight on members across all career stages working in rural or remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, by sharing their stories and experiences to inspire others to consider a career in rural general practice.
Wednesday 6 October, 7.30–8.15 pm (AEDT), online via Zoom.
Register online.
Rural health webinar: Snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea
Join RACGP Rural for an overview of paediatric and adult snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea, including current management pathways and future developments.
These disorders will be explored through a rural lens, with a particular focus given to the challenges this setting provides and some practical tips that rural and remote GPs can apply with regard to diagnosis and treatment.
This free session attracts 2 CPD points and will be facilitated by Dr Lyndon Chan, an ENT surgeon based in Sydney with sub-specialty international Fellowship training in sleep surgery, sinonasal and head and neck disorders.
Thursday 7 October, 8.00–9.00 pm (AEDT), online via Zoom.
Register online.
Position available: RACGP NREEC
GPs, legal professionals and members of the public are invited to join the RACGP National Research and Evaluation Ethics Committee (NREEC).
The committee has current and impending vacancies for:
- GP/researcher members with current relevant research experience
- a practising lawyer
- laypersons with no RACGP affiliation who currently do not engage in medical, scientific, legal or academic work
- a person with knowledge and current experience in the professional care, counselling or treatment of people, for example a nurse or allied health professional.
The role of the NREEC is to assess the ethical principles for research involving humans in the Australian primary healthcare setting, and to protect the welfare and rights of participants in research.
The committee also has a role in facilitating research that is or will be of benefit to the researcher’s community or to humankind.
Applications close Sunday 10 October. More information is available on the
RACGP website.
Position available: SIMG member
The RACGP is calling for applicants for the position of Specialist International Medical Graduate (SIMG) member on the SIMG sub-committee of the Council of Censors.
The position of SIMG offers the opportunity for a doctor who has an international specialist qualification in general practice or family medicine, and who has recently been admitted to RACGP Fellowship to take part in a new and different aspect of college life.
Those who hold a keen interest in the education, training and assessment of GPs, and feel strongly about bringing the perspective of international specialists seeking RACGP Fellowship, should consider applying for the role.
Applications close Friday 15 October. More information is available on the
RACGP website.
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