Dr Rachel Gaggin is a rural GP in Penguin, Tasmania and works closely with her local pharmacy to deliver GP services to her community of approximately 4000 people just west of Devonport. She has recently implemented the new ePrescribing system in her practice working closely with her local pharmacy to allow patients to present their prescriptions using their mobile phones, in preference to the old paper script.

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A Queensland Government trial to enable pharmacies in the state to undertake COVID testing is a recipe for disaster and a sure-fire way to spread the virus, Australia’s peak rural medical bodies warned again today. ACRRM and RDAA said it would be “incredibly difficult” to control the spread of the virus in pharmacies, if customers with symptoms attend pharmacies to be tested.

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The National Immunisation Program has issued a reminder that 2020 National Immunisation Program and private market influenza vaccines are still available from vaccination providers around the country. While there has been a record number of influenza vaccines administered in 2020, there is still an opportunity to offer the vaccine to those who have not already been vaccinated this season.

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Project ECHO is a free, interactive, online learning model that provides access to specialist advice, and aims to support and empower health, education and social service professionals to practice at the top of their scope, supporting people with complex, chronic and common conditions. Children’s Health Queensland will be hosting the series and further information about Project ECHO can be found on the CHQ website.

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The latest figures on unintentional drug deaths in Australia show why it has been so important for changes to be made to the way opioids are prescribed. ACRRM and the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) supported changes introduced in June by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), which included reduced pack sizes for opioid medications. ​

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Consultation on the draft National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (NSQHS) Guide for Community Health Services is now open. The Commission will accept feedback on the consultation draft up to close of business on Friday 18 September 2020.

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As travel restrictions are eased across much of Australia, rural doctors are urging visitors to their towns to work with them to ensure the local doctor workforce can continue to provide sustainable health services after what has been a horror year. ACRRM and the RDAA say public education is crucial in informing visitors that hospital care in rural areas relies on local GPs being called out of their homes after-hours - not in-house doctors who are at the hospital all the time. ​

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The Australian Government has extended the Remote Area Health Corps (RAHC) to provide 12-week paid placements for General Practitioners in Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisations across Australia. Until recently the program covered paid placements of between 3 – 12 weeks in the Northern Territory only. The funding variation will cover the health professionals whilst on placement plus an additional two weeks where self-isolation is required.

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Members are strongly encouraged to provide feedback on the ‘implementation of Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Review Taskforce recommendations relating to the computed tomography angiography (CTA) for the investigation of pulmonary embolism’ proposal. Please send any comments to Jenny Johnson by Monday, 7 September.

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Members are invited to contribute to the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) consultation on policy modifications that will give all NCSP participants a choice to screen using either a self-collected or a clinician-collected sample. Both options would be accessed through a healthcare provider. This follows a recommendation in 2018 from the Standing Committee on Screening to change the self-collection policy.

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The SA Department of Health and Wellbeing is inviting feedback on proposed amendments to the Consent to Medical Treatment & Palliative Care Act 1995 and the Mental Health Act 2009. These proposed amendments are very similar to those which were provided for consultation in 2017 but which were unable to be progressed at the time.

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From January a 2021, the Australian Government will prohibit the importation of e-cigarettes containing vaporiser nicotine and nicotine-containing refills unless on prescription from a doctor1. ACRRM has been invited to provide input into communication of the proposed reforms, and educational activities to support understanding of the changes to prescribing and accessing e-cigarettes containing vaporised nicotine to GPs. If you are interested in participating on a voluntary basis, please read more for information.

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Rural Australians are being urged to ensure they are not avoiding important medical checks for chronic conditions or other potentially serious illnesses during the COVID-19 crisis. ACRRM and the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) warned today that delaying important health checks now could have serious implications in the months to come.

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For nearly 20 years James Cook University (JCU) has been calling on people like yourself to assist us in selecting the future medical workforce for regional, rural and remote Australia, and that time has come again. Regional, rural and remote communities suffer from poorer health outcomes than their metropolitan counterparts, and have less access to healthcare. The need in these communities for high quality, affordable healthcare as close to home as possible, requires a broadly-skilled medical workforce that is prepared to live in and serve those communities.

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Electronic prescribing is being implemented in General Practices and Community Pharmacies across Australia through a managed approach of testing and continuous improvement across a growing number of electronic prescribing Communities of Interest (COI) according to the Australian Digital Health Agency. Communication between local pharmacies and local practices is critical - to ensure both are ready to rollout electronic prescriptions. The functionality is now available in Best Practice, Medical Director and Zedmed and Members interested in getting started should contact their software vendor.

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ACRRM announces Dr Sarah Chalmers will lead the College as President from October 2020. Dr Chalmers will succeed Dr Ewen McPhee whose two-year tenure as President ends at the College’s Annual General Meeting.

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The rapid spread of COVID-19 through aged care settings in Victoria is an early warning bell for aged care providers everywhere to urgently assess their lines of defence against coronavirus, Australia’s peak rural medical bodies said today. ACRRM and the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) have warned that now is the time for aged care facilities, regardless of their location and size, to critically review their current infection control protocols.

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This week 86 enthusiastic Independent Pathway registrars attended their week-long education workshop, which was held online for the first-time. Over the duration of the week, registrars were engaged in various sessions relevant to the Rural Generalist curriculum including acute rheumatic fever, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, Cultural safety, Communication and consultation skills, Diabetes, Mental health, Men's health, Dermatology, ENT emergencies and many more.

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ACRRM has been invited to nominate a member to the Reference Committee for this review, which will be coordinated by the Australasian Sexual Health Alliance (ASHA) together with the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM). If you would like to nominate for this position, please contact Jenny Johnson as soon as possible, and before Wednesday, August 11, including a copy of a recent resume or a short outline of any relevant qualifications or experience.

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Expressions of Interest (EOI) are being sought for members of the proposed Resources Medical Advisory Committee (RMAC). RMAC will provide independent, strategic medical advice to Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ) that will support the regulatory framework in place to protect the occupational health of Queensland’s resource sector workers.

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