5-Minute Catchup

The Check-Up | 21 July 2022

Episode Summary

The Check-Up is a weekly news segment of the 5-Minute Catchup, bringing notable news in a convenient medium. In this week’s podcast, we’ll be talking about our new Mental Health QuIK Library resource, NHMRC statement on e-cigarettes, COVID-19 oral anti-viral eligibility and upcoming CHN events.

Episode Notes

Capital Health Network QuIK Library

Department of Health and Aged Care - Eligibility for oral COVID-19 treatments

Fact sheet - Paxlovid® (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) PBS listing (July 2022)

Fact sheet - Lagevrio® (molnupiravir) PBS listing (July 2022)

Fact sheet - Changes to PBS eligibility for COVID-19 treatments - Information for prescribers and pharmacists

Chief Medical Officers statement on standard of care on COVID-19 oral antiviral treatments in RACF

Department of Health and Aged Care - Special COVID-19 Treatments Webinar – 12 July

NHMRC Australia’s national health council delivers assessment - electronic cigarettes

NHMRC electronic cigarettes CEO statement

TGA provisionally approves Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (SPIKEVAX) for use in children from 6 months

Cancer Australia - Australian Cancer Plan engagement hub

Capital Health Network – PPE request form

Capital Health Network – Educational Events

Questions? Contact our Primary Care Team via email and we'll be in touch.
primarycare@chnact.org.au

Episode Transcription

Welcome to the five-minute catch up, my name is Kate Aigner from the Quality Improvement Team, and this is your weekly Check-up.

In this week’s podcast, we’ll be talking about our new Mental Health QuIK Library resource, the NHMRC statement on e-cigarettes, COVID-19 oral anti-viral eligibility, TGA’s provisional approval of the Moderna vaccine for under 6 year olds and upcoming CHN events.

To start things off, we’d like to introduce our latest QuIK Library resource, Mental Health. Now available in the QuIK Library, this resource provides information on the topic for primary health care settings as well as exploring ideas for quality improvement focusing on mental health.

Each QuIK Library resource also relates to a QuIK Cycle, a quality improvement activity based on the plan-do-study-act framework for quality improvement. Practices can opt in to develop a QuIK Cycle with CHN which could award participating GPs with RACGP CPD Points. For further information get in touch with our quality improvement team at primarycare@chnact.org.au or visit the link below.

In COVID treatment news: Changes to the PBS eligibility criteria for the COVID-19 treatments Lagevrio and Paxlovid took effect from 11 July 2022. Those now eligible are: All people aged over 70; people aged over 50 with two or more risk factors for severe disease; and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people aged over 30 with two or more risk factors for severe disease.

Also eligible are people aged 18 years and older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised and test positive for COVID-19.

People aged 70 years or over may commence treatment while asymptomatic, following a positive rapid antigen or PCR test. This is especially important for patients in residential aged care and residential disability care.

Primary care providers are encouraged to pre-identify potential patients and explore options to ensure that treatment starts as soon as possible within the critical 5-day window.

Further details including eligible risk factors, the Chief Medical Officer’s statement on standard of care on COVID-19 oral antiviral treatments in residential aged care facilities as well as the Special COVID-19 treatments webinar recording from 12 July which covered these changes can be found in the links below.

The NHMRC has released a CEO Statement on E-Cigarettes providing the most current public health advice on their safety and impacts based on in-depth evidence reviews and an extensive toxicology report.

The advice states clearly that the vapour from e-cigarette devices can be harmful, that e-cigarettes containing nicotine are addictive and people who have never smoked are more likely to take up tobacco smoking, and that there is limited evidence that e-cigarettes are safe and effective options to help smokers quit. Further information and a link to the statement can be found below.

Now it’s time for the titbits…

The TGA have provisionally approved a paediatric dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for use in children aged 6 months to 6 years. Still pending is ATAGI’s determination on whether they will approve the use of the vaccine in which, if any, children in this age group.
Cancer Australia has launched a new Australian Cancer Plan engagement hub, an easy-to-use interactive website to stay up to date with the development of the first Australian Cancer Plan. See the link below.
And a reminder that Living with COVID PPE Bundles are still available until 30 September 2022, there is a link below to our website where you can find the order forms.

Finally, upcoming Capital Health Network events include RACF & Allied Health Connect, a face-to-face event on 30 July. It aims to improve the understanding of the opportunities that allied health professionals can contribute to the health and wellbeing of aged care residents.

And, on 2 August the State of Unpaid Carers in the ACT – The Impact on their Health and Wellbeing, run in partnership with Carers ACT. It will cover the effects of caring on the general health, personal wellbeing and mental health of carers.

Also, look out for our Monkeypox education event later this month, with further information available soon. Registration details for these events, and more, are in the link below.

And that wraps up your weekly check-up. Did you know that Capital Health Network is always available to answer your queries? If you have any questions about any of the information in this podcast, get in contact with us via email at primarycare@chnact.org.au

Our Quality Improvement Team here at Capital Health Network can assist you and your practice in developing QuIK Cycle Activities – a Plan-Do-Study-Act Quality Improvement Activity which could award participating General Practitioners with RACGP CPD Points by undertaking Self-Directed Quality Improvement. Get in contact with our team to discuss your opportunities for Continuous Quality Improvement.

On behalf of everyone here at Capital Health Network through the ACT’s PHN Program we thank you for tuning in and we’ll see you next Thursday for your next Check-up.

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