The rise in prescribing and dispensing rates for psychotropic medications for children and adolescents cannot be entirely attributable to the pandemic, and further research is needed to learn why certain prescribing patterns have emerged. Children and adolescents are being prescribed and dispensed more…

Bulk-billing for certain groups has been given a lifeline at the eleventh hour, but the funding announcement is fraught with complexities, writes Dr Alisha Dorrigan. For better or for worse, a bulk-billing revival is upon us. As announced in the 2023–2024 federal Budget, $3.5 billion of funding will…

It is hoped that a reduction in the maximum packet size of immediate release paracetamol will reduce the harm from intentional overdose, but have the changes gone far enough? The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has recently finalised their decision regarding paracetamol packet size limits. From…

We need a common-sense approach to policy when it comes to medication prescribing and dispensing without pitting doctors and pharmacists against each other, writes Dr Alisha Dorrigan. Given recent headlines, one could be forgiven for thinking that GPs like myself are spending their days bickering on…

2022 has arguably been one of the worst years for primary care in Australia. The twists and turns of the past 12 months were as confusing as they were horrifying. As GP clinics experienced a funding crisis and many turned to private billing to avoid closure, the Medicare “rorts scandal” was dropped…

I AM not ashamed to say that huge swathes of 2022 have completely baffled me. Welcome to the last issue of InSight+ for the year, by the way. We’ve had a cracking year, with our readership growing by about 40% on 2021 by user numbers, and our articles being clicked on just shy of 895 000 times in…

“They are a disparate group of individuals whose only common thread seems to be the distress they cause their doctor and the practice.” O’Dowd, BMJ, 1988 EVERY GP knows exactly what is meant by the phrase “heartsink patient”. The eyes flit over the day’s appointment schedule, and the moment…

It would be an incredible achievement if patients across the country were able to receive the full spectrum of reproductive health services, including medical abortion, through their own GP clinic IN the wake of the downfall of Roe v Wade that left many in a state of shock, it was equally shocking to…

CREATIVITY and medicine don’t always go hand in hand, but the events in recent years have shown the world that health care is a highly adaptable space and health care professionals are full of ideas on how to get things done when an overhaul of traditional practices is needed. One group of particularly…

“The new meaning of ‘first do no harm’ includes a consideration of ourselves as well as our patients. This is not to be confused with selfishness or ‘looking out for number one’. It is about a long-term obligation to our own wellbeing, health and safety, which is essential for the competent…

IT is an unusual f-word to be offended by, but say “frontline” health care worker to a GP and the hair on the back of their neck will stand up. “Frontline” has been a loaded term since Monday 22 February 2021 when the first COVID-19 vaccine was administered in Australia and along with it came…

IT always feels like a relief moving towards the end of the year, doesn’t it? Like somehow viruses and other global players will take a break just because the calendar is counting down. But if 2021 has taught us anything, it’s that pandemics don’t have much respect for summer holidays. This is…