We’ve been making improvements to your PD portfolio and you might have noticed some new features including a professional development resources section and explanatory text in the ‘Add activity’ form to help you find the right category and a feedback button. You can also edit and delete most self-entered activities, so you have more control over your own professional development records.

Read more

General Practice Training Queensland (GPTQ) has issued a call for nominations for candidates for the Board Director elections which will be held at the AGM scheduled for Tuesday 11 May 2021.

Read more

The Department of Health has invited the College to nominate a representative to participate in the National Initial Assessment and Referral (IAR) Project Expert Advisory Group (EAG). The role of the IAR EAG is to ensure the project is clinically sound and evidence based by providing expert advice regarding the development of national guidance and resources.

Read more

The Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) ECG Review Committee has been formed to consider the changes to cardiac imaging services which were recommended by the MBS Taskforce. The first stage of these changes were implemented in August 2020 and included changes to items for electrocardiograms.

Read more

This month, the College submitted its feedback to the Department of Health on the draft National Medical Workforce Strategy. The College is a member on the Medical Workforce Reform Advisory Committee which oversights the Strategy and continues to contribute to its development.

Read more

The Medical Board of Australia (the Board) is consulting on a draft revised registration standard for Endorsement of registration for acupuncture for registered medical practitioners.

Read more

The College is seeking a representative to join the Management Team of the Rural and Remote Health Journal. The role of the management committee is to consider how to increase the readership, reach and financial sustainability of the journal. It is well supported by the Journal’s editorial team.

Read more

The College has been invited to provide a representative for the National Strategic Blood forum, which will be held on Wednesday 31 March by videconference. This presenter will be participating in a session to discuss the current and future blood requirements for different settings, including regional and remote medicine, chronic transfusion support, in the emergency department and for hospital retrieval, followed by a discussion panel.

Read more

The Faculty of Pain Medicine, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists is currently leading a project to develop a pain management education strategy for Australian health practitioners. The project is funded by the federal Department of Health and supports Goal Three of the National Strategic Action Plan for Pain Management.

Read more

The Faculty of Pain Medicine, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists is currently leading a federal Department of Health-funded project to develop an overarching pain management education strategy for Australian health practitioners.

Read more

Details have been released of the upcoming rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines, and peak rural health bodies are happy that rural communities will have equitable and speedy access.

Read more

During the transition to Active Ingredient Prescribing, the Department has agreed to provide a six-month grace period for pharmacy, ceasing 31 July 2021. Within this period, if a pharmacy receives a prescription that does not meet active ingredient prescribing requirements the pharmacists have been advised to contact the prescriber and request the prescription be re-issued in accordance with the requirements that come into effective on 1 February 2021.

Read more

As part of the Australian Government’s pandemic response, a change will be made in the My Health Record system so that COVID-19 pathology reports are available to patients in their My Health Record sooner. This change has been made in consultation with industry and government stakeholders.

Read more

The College is seeking representatives to attend discussions Roundtables which have been convened by the Department of Health as part of the development of a national roadmap for improving the health of Australians with intellectual disability. The roadmap will be implemented from 2020 as part of the 10 Year Primary Health Care Plan.

Read more

To support health practitioners in their delivery of generalist palliative care, Palliative Care Australia (PCA) is developing a Generalist Supplement to the National Palliative Care Standards. This work will be assisted by a consultancy firm, Aspex Consulting; the work is due to be completed by November 2021.

Read more

The College has been invited to nominate a representative to join Cancer Australia’s Intercollegiate Advisory Group (ICAG).

Read more

The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) today formalised a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the aim of strengthening healthcare teams across rural and remote Australia.

Read more

From Monday 1 February 2021 the Australian Government is mandating that prescribers must include the active ingredient names when preparing PBS and RPBS prescriptions. A software upgrade will be required so that only compliant scripts are printed from February. We recommend getting in contact with your software provider.

Read more

The Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway, Darling Downs Health are running a Rural Generalist Advanced Skills Training introductory workshop for registrars who are starting their AST in internal medicine, mental health or paediatrics in 2021.

Read more

ACRRM is playing an important role in the new Transition to College-Led Training Advisory Committee (TCLTAC), formed by the Department of Health and co-chaired by Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Principal Medical Advisor Professor Michael Kidd AM, and Rural Health Commissioner Professor Ruth Stewart.

Read more