Available now for public access through both AdPha and RACGP, the Resource Kit
comprises three resources to support clear, accurate and timely communication as
patients transition through care providers:

1. Practice Update: Medication Management at Transitions of Care clearly defines
the role of the hospital pharmacist, general practice pharmacist (GPP), and the
general practitioner (GP) in delivering safe and quality medication management
services to their patients transitioning between acute and primary care.

2. Resource for healthcare professionals: Safe Medication Management at
Transitions of Care supports healthcare professionals in ensuring safe and
effective medication management during patient transitions between care
settings.

3. Resources for consumers: Medication safety when moving between the
community and hospital helps consumers manage their medicines safely when
moving between home and hospital.

The Transitions of Care resources are now available at the following:
– Medication Management at Transitions of Care Resource Kit (AdPha)
– Medication Management at Transitions of Care Resource Kit (RACGP)

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Backed by a $174.5 million investment, the vaccine will be offered through the National Immunisation Program (NIP) starting 3 February.

RSV or respiratory syncytial virus is a leading cause of infant hospitalisation in Australia and results in around 12,000 hospital admissions each year for babies with severe cases.

RACGP President Dr Michael Wright emphasises the significance of this initiative for Australian families.

“The decision from the Federal Government will save lives and is good news for families,” he said.

“It will help keep babies safe and save expectant families money.

“The vaccine will be available in practices around Australia, and will have a great impact on reducing the number of severe infections in newborns and babies.”

Dr Write urges all pregnant women to take advantage of the free vaccine, highlighting its critical role in protecting newborns.

“RSV is not just a relatively harmless illness, and particularly for our kids it can be devastating,” he said. 

“The unfortunate reality is that around half of RSV notifications are in kids aged under five and what some families may not realise is that almost all infants will experience an RSV infection.

“So, we must do all we can to ensure their immune systems are ready, this vaccine will help keep them as safe as possible.”

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It comes following the Government announcing this afternoon that pill testing will now be supported on an ongoing basis. $1 million will be invested by the Miles Government over the next two years and final planning is underway to deliver an event-based service at the Rabbits Eats lettuce festival over Easter. The services will also provide health interventions delivered by trained health and harm reduction works to change behaviours and reduce the risk of harm.

Last year, the RACGP welcomed Queensland becoming Australia’s second jurisdiction after the ACT to give pill testing the green light. Yesterday, the College strongly urged the Victorian Government to act on multiple coronial recommendations and introduce a pill testing trial.

RACGP Queensland Deputy Chair, Dr Aileen Traves, said that Queensland was leading the nation.

“This is a momentous day,” she said.

“Supporting pill testing at fixed and mobile locations, including events such as music festivals, on an ongoing basis is an Australian-first. Well done to the Queensland Government for having the courage and commitment to make this happen. Pill testing is not about condoning illicit drug use. Far from it, these services constitute an intelligent harm reduction measure proven around the world to save lives. We shouldn’t pretend that we can ever completely stamp out illicit drug use, or pretend that it doesn’t happen. It does happen, and we should act to minimise the harm and keep people as safe as possible.

“Pill testing services also allow trained staff to talk to people using illicit drugs free of judgment about why they are using drugs and explain the many dangers. What they find is that many people who submit drugs for testing discard them when they find out what they contain.”

RACGP Alcohol and Other Drug spokesperson, Dr Hester Wilson, said that other jurisdictions should follow Queensland’s lead.

“To all state and territory governments my question is a simple one – what are you waiting for?”

“Queensland and the ACT are taking the lead, now it is time for you to follow. How many more senseless deaths do we have to witness before politicians come to their senses and introduce pill testing. We have had so many experts come forward and so many coronial recommendations backing pill testing. We know what to do, it’s time to make it happen.

“Overdose deaths do not happen to ‘other people’. This could be your son or daughter, or friend, or colleague. I know governments are concerned about accusations that they are soft on drugs or something similar, but it is time to finally act and save lives. At the end of the day – every person’s life matters.”

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“Obesity is a delicate area for GPs and patients to navigate,” says RACGP Specific Interests Obesity Management Chair, Dr Terri-Lynne South.

“We live in an era of social media comparisons and people suffering from body image pressures, so providing the right kind of care and support is crucial.”

Dr South says it’s not to make people feel worse about themselves or even discriminated against.

“However, we can’t avoid discussing weight with patients entirely,” says Dr South.

“This is a growing problem in Australia, with 67% of the nation’s adults falling into the categories of being overweight or obese alongside of a quarter of children and adolescents.

“Clearly, this is something that must be front of mind for [healthcare teams], and that includes helping people to take the steps necessary to improve their health and wellbeing rather than just focussing on the numbers on the scale.

“The focus needs to be on healthy and helpful conversations so that we can help patients improve their health trajectory.”

Healthcare professionals, including pharmacists and GPs, have a vital role to play in helping patients with weight management.

“One approach,” suggests Dr South, “is to ask the patient if it is okay to measure their weight and then look carefully for clues from the patient as to whether that is something that is causing them distress.

“More can and should be done in this space, and that includes more education for [healthcare professionals] to ensure all patients are being respected and offered the highest quality treatment.

“If we had separate training relating to stigma and bias and a greater understanding of the biology of weight control – that is something that could be very beneficial.

“Every patient is different, and I’m mindful of research, which provides that some health professionals may not fully understand the negative impacts weight stigma can have on some people.

“If a patient has had bad previous experiences with a health professional and feels a sense of shame, they may be reluctant to reach out and seek help, and that is the last thing we want.”

The RACGP will be hosting an upcoming World Organization of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of General Practitioners/Family Physicians, or WONCA, world conference in Sydney from 26 to 29 October 2023.

WONCA will include a comprehensive panel discussion on obesity featuring expert speakers from around the world examining issues including:

• The effectiveness of health promotion interventions delivered by community health workers to control obesity.
• Weight gain in patients living with early psychosis.
• Factors associated with weight gain during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Obesity management in primary care and the link to effective lifestyle management and preventative medicine.

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The 60DD policy will double the amount of medicines that pharmacists can dispense for stable conditions, on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), from 30 to 60 days – saving patients at least $180 a year and more if they’re taking multiple medicines, says the RACGP.

“This is progressive policy, and it puts patients first,” says RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins.

“60-day dispensing will make a big difference for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, who are struggling with rising costs.

“It will save patients at least $180 a year, and more if they’re taking multiple medicines, as well as reducing trips to get medicine, and freeing up GP appointments for other people who need them.

“Many people living with chronic and ongoing conditions in Australia will see immediate benefits.”

Dr Higgins adds that “the government is reinvesting all saving from [the 60DD] back into community pharmacy, plus providing an extra $148.2 million to help regional and rural pharmacies adjust to the change”.

“This is important and the RACGP welcomed it,” she says.

“Australia needs a strong and sustainable primary care sector, with GPs working in teams with other specialists, pharmacists, allied health and nurses, for the best outcomes for our patients.

“Because everyone needs access to high-quality care, no matter where they live or what they earn.”

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The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved an application from MS Health to amend restrictions on the prescribing of MS-2 Step, which is indicated in females of childbearing age for the medical termination of an intrauterine pregnancy, up to 63 days of gestation.

The changes to prescribing requirements include:

• MS-2 Step can now be prescribed by any healthcare practitioner with appropriate qualifications and training, without the need for certification – this may include nurse practitioners.
• Restrictions on dispensing that limited access to registered pharmacists have also been lifted.

These changes have been welcomed by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) with PSA National President Dr Fei Sim FPS noting that this move will significantly improve women’s access to healthcare.

“This move will improve the access to care for women, making MS-2 step available in more pharmacies and in more communities in Australia,” says Dr Sim.

“This approach recognises that pharmacists are medicine experts and that dispensing MS-2 Step and counselling patients on its use is already within the scope of practice of pharmacists.

“By removing unnecessary red tape, pharmacists can help more Australian women access reproductive care, in line with international experience.

“Pharmacists follow a robust process to ensure all medicines are dispensed safely and effectively,” she says.

Monash University’s Professor Danielle Mazza this decision will help to “destigmatise and increase access to abortion” in Australia.

“[The changes will] bring Australia into line with countries such as Canada, which in 2017 completely deregulated mifepristone providing evidence not only of continued safety but also a marked increase in the number of providers,” says Professor Mazza.

“Restrictive arrangements since medical abortion became available in Australia in 2012 led to access problems, particularly for women who had limited incomes and/or lived in rural and regional areas.

“Previously, GPs have had to undertake mandatory training and register before they could provide the abortion pill, then re-register every three years. As a result, only about 10% of GPs in Australia are registered to prescribe.

“The removal of the need for pharmacists to register to dispense mifepristone means that now all pharmacies will be able to stock and dispense this medication and women won’t have to hunt around to try and find a local pharmacy that does.

“The TGA’s decision will encourage GPs to provide medical abortion, offering women a safe option to use at home. It also enables nurse practitioners to prescribe the abortion pill.

“This recognises their capacity to deliver women’s sexual and reproductive health care and makes medical abortion more available in areas where women don’t have access to a GP who provides this service.”

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has also welcomed the changes with RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins saying that it’s a significant step forward to improve access to holistic reproductive care.

“This is a huge step forward to improve access, particularly for those living in rural and remote communities,” says Dr Higgins.

“As a GP in a regional centre, I know all too well that there are significant barriers to reproductive care in rural and remote areas. These services are vital, and they must be affordable and accessible for everyone who needs them.

“The TGA’s changes will enable greater access to medical abortion for women throughout Australia and will reduce unnecessary red tape for the GPs who provide these essential services.”

The TGA states that in noting these revised restrictions, a new warning/instruction has been included in the Product Information, which provides information about circumstances where a person should be referred to a medical practitioner.

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The financial boost includes:

• All community pharmacies will be paid more for dispensing PBS medicines, giving the average metropolitan pharmacy more than $41,000 extra per year.
• Government payments to community pharmacies will increase by 7% from July 1, meaning significant increases in payments for services like dispensing, handling, administration and infrastructure.
• Regional, rural and remote pharmacies will benefit from the doubling of the total annual budget for the Regional Pharmacy Maintenance Allowance (RPMA), which also takes effect from 1 July.

The Government has also announced that from 1 July, new rules will take effect regarding pharmacy medicine stocks.

The new rules will mean manufacturers of more than 2900 brands of common medicine will be required to hold a minimum of four or six months’ worth of stock onshore in Australia, thereby assuring pharmacy medicine stocks.

RACGP welcomes financial boost 

The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has welcomed this significant financial boost for community pharmacies across Australia.

“Australia needs a strong and sustainable primary care system with GPs working together with pharmacists, allied health and nurse practitioners to provide the best care for patients,” says RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins.

“Community pharmacies play an important role in dispensing medication. They also provide various associated services, such as opioid dependence treatment, medication reviews, and Indigenous health, which are government subsidised.

“The significant financial boost to pharmacies from July 1 is welcome, particularly for those in our rural communities.

“The regional pharmacy maintenance allowance has doubled, so pharmacies in the most remote areas are now eligible for more than $90,000 a year to keep their doors open.

“Rural and remote communities typically have limited access to health services, sometimes there’s just one GP practice and pharmacy, and the local community relies on them heavily.

“The rural primary care community is also tight-knit, we support each other, and I know there will be many rural GPs who’ll be happy to hear about this additional support for their local pharmacists.”

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The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) says the May Budget is an opportunity for the Government to do this, by acting on reforms that include:

• Extending the length of prescriptions to save patients time and money.
• Allowing a larger supply of medicines in one go. They say a two-month supply would halve dispensing fees.
• Investigating the benefits of removing the $1 discount rule, which caps discounts on medicines.
• Overhauling Australia’s anti-competitive pharmacy ownership and location laws, which they say inflate costs for patients.
• Making prescribing faster and easier for GPs, so they have more time for patient care by streamlining the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule (PBS) prescribing system, which they says is unnecessarily complex.

‘Health system crisis must be tackled from all sides’ 

“We have a cost-of-living crisis and a health system crisis on our hands, and people across Australia are feeling the crunch and struggling to access or afford the healthcare and medicines they need,” says RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins.

The health system crisis must be tackled from all sides, says Dr Higgins, including by making medicines cheaper and easier to access.

Dr Higgins says the solution to this is simple reforms that the Government “can and should make to save patients’ money and time”. These reforms, she adds, will also free up GPs “so we can see more patients”.

“This includes extending the length of prescriptions. If GPs could give longer prescriptions of 15 months instead of the usual 6 months to suitable patients, it would make a big difference. GPs should have the flexibility to decide what’s right for their patients,” says Dr Higgins.

“Another easy way to lower costs is to allow patients to get a larger supply of medicines in one go by increasing the supply interval for certain medicines.

“This will save the government money on dispensing fees which could in turn be used to further subsidise patient care.

“These reforms are an easy way to help those most in need, including people who are older and those with chronic conditions who often need multiple medicines.

“It will save money for individual patients, as well as significant savings for the overall health budget and taxpayers.

“We also support further investigation of the benefits to patients in changing the $1 discount rule. This prevents pharmacies from discounting medicines that cost more than the current co-payment of $30 by more than $1. Other countries like New Zealand don’t have this rule, so pharmacies can offer significant discounts on some medicines,” she says.

PBS prescribing system reforms needed

Dr Higgins also calls for changes to the PBS prescribing system to reduce administration time and free up GPs to see patients.

“The current PBS authority system is time-consuming and an administrative burden for GPs, with questionable if any benefits for patients,” she says.

“If this system was updated and streamlined it would result in shorter consults, lower Medicare billings, and GPs would have more time to spend with patients, rather than cumbersome administration.

“Australia needs to seriously explore alternative models to lower the cost of medicines and increase access and choice for people across Australia. Other models such as supermarket pharmacies, online pharmacies and automated dispensing machines are used widely in other western countries like the US and UK and could make a real difference here, particularly in rural communities,” Dr Higgins says.

‘Too many people missing out’ 

“Everyone deserves access to affordable and high-quality primary care and medicines, no matter their postcode or income,” Dr Higgins says.

“But too many people are missing out, which is causing more people to go to the hospital and more pressure on our overstretched emergency care system.

“The Government needs to stem the bleeding in this Budget by providing urgent relief to Australians facing growing out-of-pocket costs for healthcare. And we are continuing to call for an increase in Medicare rebates, including for longer complex consultations.

“The government should also use the Budget to act on these reforms to make medicines cheaper and easier to access. It is an easy way to help Australians battling rising costs at a time when they really need it, as well as reducing overall healthcare costs, and freeing up GPs to spend more time with patients,” she says.

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In a submission made to the TGA, the RACGP is calling for:

• Stronger border controls, including scrapping the personal importation scheme for NVPs and mandating that non-nicotine vaping products list the ingredients.
• Stricter regulation of products, including an Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) for registered NVPs.
• A crackdown on flavours and packaging – restricting flavours to tobacco and mandating pharmaceutical-like packaging with added warnings about health risks.
• Restricting NVP supply to three months per prescription.

Of particular concern here, according to RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins, are the vaping products sold as non-nicotine products while containing nicotine.

“Many vaping products sold as non-nicotine do, in fact, contain nicotine. This makes it clear that getting people addicted is a core part of Big Nicotine’s marketing strategy,” says Dr Higgins.

Dr Higgins says that the increasing number of young Australians taking up vaping is “deeply concerning”.

“More and more young people who have never smoked cigarettes are now vaping and this is deeply concerning,” she says.

“The RACGP created smoking cessation guidelines, which include using nicotine vaping products to aid smoking cessation and that’s because we believe this is the only legitimate use of these products.”

Dr Higgins says that while the correct use of NVPs is within the realm of aiding smoking cessation, tighter regulations are needed to ensure the health of all Australians and to avoid creating “an impression of a safe alternative to cigarettes”.

“We are at risk of trading one public health disaster for another,” she says.

“The RACGP understands that getting a prescription is harder than walking to the shop, but GPs are here to help, and to work with you to improve your health, without judgement,” Dr Higgins says.

“Your GP can work with you to take control of your health, and save you money, by helping you to access smoking cessation products and develop strategies that work for you.”

For more, visit: racgp.org.au/advocacy/reports-and-submissions/view-all-reports-and-submissions/2023-reports-and-submissions/potential-reforms-to-the-regulation-of-nicotine-va

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This comes in light of a 2022 Jean Hailes for Women’s Health survey revealing that women put off regular health checks, like cervical cancer screening, during Covid-19.

RACGP President Adjunct Professor Karen Price says this is “very concerning” and may lead to “delayed diagnosis and worsening illness”.

“It’s critical that we get screening back on track in Australia,” Adj. Professor Price said.

“This includes everything from breast screens to heart health, mental health assessments and osteoporosis prevention, as well as supporting the updated self-collection process for cervical cancer screening,” she said.

Cervical self-collection

Earlier this year, the Federal Government gave all people with a cervix who are eligible for cervical screening the option to take self-collected vaginal swab samples as part of the National Cervical Cancer Screening Program.

However, according to the RACGP uptake of this option is lagging due to lack of awareness with a newsGP poll revealing just 8% of GPs report that the majority of eligible patients have made use of the expanded access to self-collection.

“Self-collection is about saving lives,” RACGP spokesperson and member of the National Cervical Screening Program Self-Collection Implementation Committee Dr Lara Roeske said.

“We need to address the barriers limiting uptake because the self-collection option is now available to everyone who needs cervical cancer screening, so we should see more widespread use of it.”

The self-collection option is available under the National Cervical Screening Program to all people with a cervix who are aged between 25–74 and who have ever been sexually active, and at any time during pregnancy.

Put women’s health first

Adj. Professor Price is calling on Australia’s leaders “to put women’s health first and invest in ongoing, preventative care”.

With rising costs of living, the Jean Hailes survey reveals to 44% of all women can’t afford to see their GP or other healthcare professional.

“It’s even worse for women from non-English speaking backgrounds, with 70% saying they could not afford care,” Adj. Professor Price said.

Adj. Professor Price says the issues surrounding access to healthcare need to be addressed urgently because access to healthcare is a fundamental right.

“The government needs to address this problem urgently because everyone in Australia should be able to access high-quality care, more matter their postcode, income or gender,” she said.

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