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 talk about COVID vaccines and antivirals, ACT Walk-in Centres, the Rare diseases project, CHN education events and more.
ATAGI – COVID-19 Vaccine Adverse Events
Capital Health Network - GPs Prescribing For COVID-19 In the Community webinar
ACT and SNSW HealthPathways – COVID Medications Username: together, Password: forhealth
National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce - Treatment flowchart
University of Liverpool- COVID-19 Drug Interactions checker
ACT and SNSW HealthPathways – COVID -19 Referrals Username: together, Password: forhealth
Canberra Health Services - Walk-in Centres
Rare Disease Project ECHO RArEST@unsw.edu.au
Rare Disease Project ECHO registration
Capital Health Network - Events
Capital Health Network - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Awareness Training
Questions? Contact our Primary Care Team via email and we'll be in touch.
primarycare@chnact.org.au
Welcome to the five-minute catch up my name is Gill O’Donnell from the Quality Improvement Team, and this is your weekly Check-up.
In this week’s podcast we’ll talk about COVID vaccines and antivirals, ACT Walk-in Centres, the Rare diseases project, CHN education events and more.
To start things off, a COVID vaccination update: On Tuesday this week all primary care vaccination sites received updated advice by email from Capital Health Network on the COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-out of the Moderna Bivalent (Blue/Green) vaccine.This important update clarifies the dosage of the vaccine, and the ordering window dates for each tranche.
The minimum order for Red cap Moderna COVID vaccine for 6 years and over remains at 100 doses due to logistical constraints. The Department appreciates practices trying to minimise wastage and advises that sites with excess stock are encouraged to share orders with other participating practices, splitting orders or transferring small amounts as required to other sites. Should a practice be presented with someone who is eligible and requires a COVID-19 vaccine, we support the practice opening a vial and vaccinating the person.
Continuing with vaccination: Feedback from pharmacists has highlighted the need for GPs to provide any owed prescriptions for Lagevrio or Paxlovid to the pharmacy as soon as possible to assist them to manage the expense of keeping sufficient stock on hand, noting PBS reimbursement can only occur following dispensing. This will encourage all pharmacies to maintain sufficient stock on hand to meet future supply needs.
Moving to Paediatric Moderna: ATAGI have made updates to their Clinical Guidance to reflect the Moderna primary course for children 6 months to 4 years old. See the link below for more details.
On antivirals: Across Australia more than 278,120 prescriptions have been dispensed for the COVID-19 oral antiviral treatments in the past week. Of these approximately 222,330 were for Lagevrio, while 55,790 were for Paxlovid. Paxlovid is still considered the first line oral anti-viral with 88% relative risk reduction for hospitalization whereas Lagevrio provides 30% relative risk reduction. To support ACT provider’s decision making, drug interactions, contraindications and side effects were discussed in detail at the recent Capital Health Network Webinar “GPs Prescribing For COVID-19 In the Community.” A link to the video recording is available below.
Information on COVID antiviral medication is available in the COVID medications section on HealthPathways, the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce treatment flowchart and the drug interaction checker. GPs can also contact the COVID Care@Home team. All links are below.
Now it’s time for the titbits…
Finally, upcoming CHN events include the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Awareness Training event for primary care professionals and their staff. This free, face-to- face event will be held on 25 October at The Glasshouse, Pialligo Estate. Also look out for our Electronic Referral Webinar on 26th October and Chronic Headache and Neuropathic pain face to face event on 8th November. Links to register for these events can be found 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.
LINKS
ATAGI – COVID-19 Vaccine Adverse Events
Capital Health Network - GPs Prescribing For COVID-19 In the Community webinar
ACT and SNSW HealthPathways – COVID Medications Username: together, Password: forhealth
National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce - Treatment flowchart
University of Liverpool- COVID-19 Drug Interactions checker
ACT and SNSW HealthPathways – COVID -19 Referrals Username: together, Password: forhealth
Canberra Health Services - Walk-in Centres
Rare Disease Project ECHO RArEST@unsw.edu.au
Rare Disease Project ECHO registration
Capital Health Network - Events
Capital Health Network - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Awareness Training
Questions? Contact our Primary Care Team via email and we'll be in touch.
primarycare@chnact.org.au