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CPD

Data Management for Chronic Disease CPD – Monday 16 August
This session will look at computer tools to improve clinical care in chronic disease and maximise business potential and will provide participants with an opportunity to learn about:

• The PEN and Canning tools for data extraction
• The Doctors Control Panel (real-time analysis of patient requirements)
• The Practice Health Atlas
• CDM-Net (web-based careplanning) - electronic communication with the team.

To register click here.

General News

Diabetes Risk Reduction – New Division Resource Kit
Monash Division has developed a new resource kit to support GPs and practices with diabetes risk reduction.  The kit includes:  a referral flow chart; Australian Diabetes Risk Assessment Tool; template for Type 2 diabetes risk evaluation; referral form for diabetes risk reduction and  patient brochures.
For a copy of the kit or assistance with any aspect of diabetes risk reduction please contact the Division.

Groups Available For Patients at Risk of Diabetes Aged 40+ Years- New Groups Commencing
Diabetes risk reduction groups are run at different location and times to meet the needs of people at risk of diabetes across the Division.  A number of new groups are commencing over coming weeks for people aged 40+ years who are at risk of diabetes, these include:

• Thursday 12 August – East Bentleigh (evening)
• Wednesday 25 August – Hampton (evening)
• Wednesday 1 September – Bentleigh (morning)
• Monday 13 September – Clarinda (morning).

If you would like information about diabetes risk assessment and referral to local groups for your patients please contact the Division.

Burmese Diabetes Risk Reduction Group – Springvale
Monash Division is working with Greater Dandenong Community Health Service to run a diabetes risk reduction group in Burmese.  The group commences on Friday 10 September.  To refer patients to this group please contact the Division.

New Medicare Health Assessment Items – Kit Available
The Department of Health and Ageing has produced a new kit providing information sheets on the new time-based health assessment Medicare items.  The four new time-based health assessment items cover:

• Healthy Kids Check
• Health assessment for 45-49 year olds at risk of chronic disease
• Type 2 diabetes risk evaluation for 40 – 49 year olds
• Health assessments for people aged 75 years and older
• Comprehensive medical assessment for permanent residents of residential aged care facilities
• health assessments for people with an intellectual disability
• Health assessments for refugees and other humanitarian entrants.

To obtain a copy of the kit or for assistance with the new Medicare items contact the Division.

Victorian Carers Card
The Carers Card is part of the Victorian Government strategy to recognise and support the estimated 140,000 carers in Victoria. Commencing 1 July 2010, the card gives carers access to a range of discounts and services (including free public transport on Sundays around Melbourne and some regional centres, and vouchers for V Line travel). The card is free to people who are:

• A resident of Victoria and a primary, unpaid carer of a person with a disability, a severe medical condition, or a mental illness, or who is frail aged or who is in need of palliative care. This care must be provided in the home of the person requiring care
• A foster, respite, kinship or permanent carer in receipt of a DHS reimbursement payment
• A kinship carer with a statutory declaration from the Office of the Child Safety Commissioner or relevant court order
• Receive Centrelink Carer Payment or Carer Allowance.

Certain health professionals, including GPs and registered nurses can sign application forms for applicants. The Department of Health is keen to make the process as simple as possible and asks that the health professional is satisfied that the primary informal carer is the main provider of care and support and provides assistance with self care, communication or mobility. Information for health professionals and carers is available at the website.

Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Multidisciplinary Voice Analysis Clinic
The Clinic accepts new referrals for patients with complex or persistent voice and/or throat difficulties (including chronic cough and laryngeal dysfunction). 
Please include the following information in the referral:

• Statement that referral is for Voice Analysis Clinic
• Reason for referral
• Onset and nature of the disorder
• Relevant medical and psychosocial information, including medications
• Need for interpreter.

Waiting times for this clinic are currently very short and there is no cost to attend the clinic.  Referrals can be sent by GPs or speech pathologists to the Outpatient Bookings Unit by fax 9929 8404 or mail to Locked Bag 8, East Melbourne, 8002.  For more information about this clinic please phone the Speech Pathology Department on 9929 8223 or email.

New Bowel Screening Resource for General Practice
General practice is ideally placed to advise patients on the prevention and early detection of bowel cancer. Bowel cancer kills almost 80 Australians each week yet 90% of cases can be cured if found early. Faecal occult blood testing, as offered through the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP), has the potential to significantly reduce deaths from bowel cancer.  A video and practice preparation check-list is available to guide general practice teams through their role in the NBCSP, in terms of promoting participation, reporting requirements and patient support.  The video can be viewed online and hard copies are available by calling 9635 5049. A complementary consumer video is also available.

Immunisation News

Seasonal Influenza Vaccine for Children Aged from 6 Months to Less Than 5 Years - Updated Advice
On 30 July 2010 the Chief Medical Officer advised that children aged from 6 months to less than 5 years may be vaccinated with Vaxigrip or Influvac, following a discussion of the risks and benefits of these vaccines with parents and guardians.  This includes both children at risk of medical complications of influenza and healthy children.  Vaccination of children in this age group with Fluvax or Fluvax Junior is not recommended due to the identified increase risk of febrile convulsions.  Recommendations for the use of seasonal influenza vaccine including Fluvax in children 5 years and older and in adults has not changed.

The CMO’s advice follows ongoing investigations in Australia and overseas which have indicated that there does not appear to be the higher than normal incidence of febrile convulsions in children under five with the seasonal flu vaccines Influvac or Vaxigrip.  Investigations into fever and febrile convulsions associated with the vaccine Fluvax are continuing.  

For further queries please visit the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing website.

All immunisation providers are asked to continue to report any adverse events following seasonal influenza vaccination.

National Prescribing Service News

Visits on ‘Management Options to Maximize Sleep’
The latest NPS education program encourages health professionals to offer behavioural and cognitive therapies for insomnia; discuss and specify the duration of hypnotic medicines use; trial discontinuing hypnotic medicines in patients who have been using them for long periods and engage patient/carers in managing sleep difficulties.  To enrol for the visiting program contact Alicja at the Division.

Final Paper-Based Clinical Audit for QPI-PIP 2010-2011: Review of Opioid Prescribing in Chronic Pain –Due 10 September 2010
Patient inclusion and exclusion criteria for this audit:

• Identify 15 adult patients prescribed an opioid (excluding tramadol), including codeine-containing analgesics, for chronic non-cancer pain
• Include patients receiving an initial prescription or those receiving continuing therapy
• Exclude patients receiving palliative care, with migraine only, with a history of substance misuse or addiction, or prescribed tramadol.

Find out more about this clinical audit. Submit initial data collection for 15 patients by 10 September 2010 for completion of the clinical audit in April 2011. Enrol online. Your free clinical audit pack will be sent by mail. This clinical audit activity has been approved by the RACGP QA&CPD Program, total points for steps 1-5: 40 (Category 1) in the 2008–2010 triennium. Points are awarded only to participants who complete the review phase. This audit is recognised for the Quality Prescribing Initiative of the Practice Incentives Program (May 2010 to April 2011).

New in August 2010 NPS RADAR – ‘Gliptins’ for Diabetes, Melatonin for Insomnia, Autoinjector for Anaphylaxis
The latest RADAR reviews include:

• Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (‘gliptins’) for type 2 diabetes mellitus
• Adrenaline autoinjector (Anapen) for acute allergic anaphylaxis
• Methoxyflurane (Penthrox) for analgesia (doctor’s bag listing)
• Melatonin prolonged-release tablets (Circadin) for primary insomnia in older people.

Plus in brief articles on:

• Paracetamol with caffeine (Panadol Extra) available over the counter from pharmacies
• PBS listing of extended-release pramipexole (Sifrol ER) for Parkinson’s disease
• Exenatide (Byetta): first in another new class of diabetes drugs
• Anakinra (Kineret) to be deleted from the PBS
• Colchicine for acute gout: updated information about dosing and drug interactions.

Download the NPS RADAR August 2010 complete issue in PDF.

Medicine Safety Update No 4, 2010– Varenicline, H1N1 Vaccine
The fourth issue of Medicines Safety Update is now available on the TGA website. It includes reports on:

• Varenicline (Champix): an update
• Australian experience with non-adjuvant H1N1 vaccine (Panvax and Panvax Junior)
• New structural arrangements
• What to report.

Medicines Safety Update brings you practical information and advice about medicines safety and informs you about emerging safety issues. It replaces the Australian Adverse Drug Reactions Bulletin.  To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit. Please send any feedback.