Editorial
Welcome to the February edition of the HealthInsite e-newsletter, and a special welcome to any new subscribers!
Before I outline the contents of this month's newsletter, our thoughts and best wishes go out to all of those people affected by the bushfires in Victoria, and the floods in Queensland and New South Wales. That Australia is a land of contrasts has again been exemplified starkly this month.
This month is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and the theme for this year's campaign is No one knows your body like you do.
The National Prescribing Service is urging doctors and pharmacists to exercise care when considering brand substitution for anti-epileptic drugs used for epilepsy, even if they are listed as bio-equivalent on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
Earlier this month, the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission released an Interim Report: A Healthier Future for all Australians that outlines some proposed reforms for the health care system as a whole.
And finally, one of HealthInsite's trusted Information Partners, Reach Out!, provides some tips on going back to school, and coping with tragedies.
News Items
This month is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and is intended to encourage women and health care professionals to learn more about the disease, particularly its symptoms.
Because there is no screening test for ovarian cancer, it is important that women are able to recognise the symptoms which are often vague and similar to everyday maladies and conditions.
As part of the campaign, a "Symptom Diary" has been made available by Ovarian Cancer Australia so that women are able to record and better communicate the symptoms they are experiencing to their GPs.
One of HealthInsite's Information Partners, the National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre, has launched its own public information campaign No one knows your body like you do. The campaign is designed to educate Australian women about the symptoms of ovarian cancer, and to dispel the myth that a Pap test will detect the disease.
HealthInsite has a topic page on Ovarian Cancer.
Critical dose medicines and brand substitution: issues with anti-epileptic drugs
Another of HealthInsite's Information Partners, the National Prescribing Service, is urging doctors and pharmacists to exercise care when considering brand substitution for anti-epileptic drugs, even if they are listed as bio-equivalent on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
"Once a patient's epilepsy is under control, the brand of medicine they are prescribed should not be changed", NPS CEO Dr Lynn Weekes said.
In its position statement, the Epilepsy Society of Australia recommends that "patients with epilepsy should first obtain the advice of their treating doctor before having the preparation of anti-epileptic drug interchanged".
The National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission was established by the Australian Government early in 2008 to develop a long-term health reform plan for Australia. The Commission has been charged with providing a blueprint for tackling future challenges, including:
- the rapidly increasing burden of chronic disease;
- the ageing of the population;
- rising health costs; and
- inefficiencies exacerbated by cost-shifting.
A media release was issued on 16 February - the same day the report was unveiled at the National Press Club in Canberra. The report proposes 116 reform directions across the spectrum of health service delivery - from a healthy start to life to
end of life care. It also canvasses a range of issues including governance of the health system, primary health care, prevention, Indigenous health, hospitals, aged care, workforce, mental health, and rural health.
The Commission is seeking responses and comments from a wide range of people and interest groups.
The preferred feedback mechanism is an electronic survey that can be accessed on the NHHRC website at www.nhhrc.org.au.
e-mail feedback (maximum of 1000 words) can be sent to talkhealth@nhhrc.org.au.
Written responses (maximum of 1000 words) can be mailed to:
The National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission
PO Box 685
WODEN ACT 2606
The final report is due to be completed in June 2009.
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On occasion, we receive emails from people interested in importing medicines and food supplements.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is another trusted HealthInsite Information Partner. The TGA has contact details and information about importing and exporting these sorts of goods.
If there is an issue that you would like to see covered in a future newsletter, please send an e-mail to the HealthInsite team at: healthinsite.feedback@health.gov.au
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