Australian Doctor 11th Oct Issue | Page 10

10 NEWS 11 OCTOBER 2024 ausdoc . com . au

THINK

TRIPLE

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THINK

TRIMBOW1

* Trimbow 100 / 6 / 10 & 200 / 6 / 10 are indicated for maintenance treatment ; in adults with asthma not adequately controlled with a maintenance combination of medium dose or high dose ICS / LABA respectively , and who experienced ≥1 exacerbation ( s ) in the previous year . Trimbow 100 / 6 / 10 is indicated in adults with moderate to severe COPD who are not adequately treated by ICS / LABA or LABA / LAMA . 1

PBS

LISTED FOR COPD ( 100 / 6 / 10 ) 2

MBS care plan delay ‘ disappointing ’

Antony Scholefield GIVEN the silence from the Department of Health and Aged Care in recent weeks , no-one should be surprised that reform of GP care plans and team care arrangements has been shelved .

The changes , which GPs had long called for , marked the biggest shake-up of Medicare ’ s chronic disease funding in 20 years : no more team care arrangements and new , identical rebates for both drawing up and reviewing the care plans .

But department officials got to the point where they had five weeks to nail down rebates underpinning a billion dollars of GP funding a year without freaking out medical groups or , indeed , their colleagues at the Treasury .

According to AMA vice-president Dr Danielle McMullen , all the other changes in this reform were ready to go on 1 November .

“ The details are there as well as the draft item numbers ,” she told Australian Doctor . So what was the problem ? “ What we highlighted was that the money was not quite right .” She said the delay would allow further consultation with the AMA and the RACGP .

“ We need to make sure we are appropriately remunerating GPs for the work they do and that these changes are not going to end up cutting chronic disease funding .”

With the changes , it has been speculated that the $ 164 MBS rebate for writing a care plan would have to fall in order to equalise with the review item , given that the review item is currently only worth $ 82 . The Federal Government has never pledged additional money for the change beyond its commitment that savings from scrapping item 723 would be poured into the surviving items .

But the delay means another eight

Dr Danielle McMullen .

months before anything at all happens , including the end of the team care arrangement item that is seen by many GPs as a waste of their time .

“ Everybody agrees that chronic disease management items , as structured now , are red tape laden ,” Dr McMulllen said .

“ The policy changes that were proposed , and are still proposed , are good changes that will mean we GPs are not chasing a million referrals in advance , making it easier for patients to access care and GPs to provide that care .”

Trimbow streamlined management : 2 † COPD ( 100 / 6 / 10 ) + severe asthma ( 200 / 6 / 10 )

†

The only pMDI PBS-listed for both COPD ( 100 / 6 / 10 ) + severe asthma ( 200 / 6 / 10 ) 2

Dr

Celebrating forty years

Back to the future …

FROM PAGE 1 in bed with a migraine . I need to set aside time to talk to her .

Back in the car , it ’ s a quick blast of Dancing in the Dark . Bruce might be

born in the USA , but he gets the blood pumping , and it ’ s better than that Girls Just Want to Have Fun thing . It ’ s been sound wallpaper for the last six weeks — that and a young woman singing her one-hit wonder about being a virgin .

But today will be a good day . We are interviewing for a new practice partner . Nine applicants , but interestingly three women , one saying she wants four days a week because she ’ s got two kids . That ’ s a surprise , things seem to be changing .

Over lunch , we talk about this and the amazing business of Fiona Coote and her miracle heart transplant . There

She wants four days a week because she ’ s got two kids .

are dark mutterings in some corners that these organ transplants are interfering with God ’ s plan .

But then the drug rep arrives with a large plate of lamingtons and some spiel about a new benzo — alprazolam . It ’ s a great drug apparently , not addictive the rep says .

It leaves me wondering if it may be an option for Mrs K ?

Back home now . Wife and kids await .

Hmmm … that doctor with the two kids . Four days a week ? She was very clear about it , but she was really pretty good … to be fair , she was very , very good .

I don ’ t know , maybe she is the future .

Order starter pack today chiesiair . com . au

PBS Information : Authority required ( STREAMLINED ). Severe Asthma ( 200 / 6 / 10 mcg presentation only ). Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ( 100 / 6 / 10 mcg presentation only ). Criteria Apply . Refer to PBS for full information .

Please review Product Information before prescribing . Product Information is available by scanning the QR code .

Abbreviations : COPD : chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ; ICS : inhaled corticosteroid ; LABA : long-acting beta 2 agonist ; LAMA : long-acting muscarinic antagonist ; PBS : Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme ; pMDI : pressurised metered dose inhaler . References : 1 . Trimbow Approved Product Information . 2 . Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme ( PBS ). www . pbs . gov . au . Chiesi Australia Pty Ltd , Hawthorn East , VIC . 3123 , Australia . Tel : + 61 3 9077 4486 ; Fax : + 61 3 8672 0792 ; Email : medinfo . au @ chiesi . com . Copyright © Chiesi 2024 . All rights reserved . Date of preparation : May 2024 . AU-TRI-2400081 . CHIE00185C .

Australian Doctor columnist Dr Jon Fogarty back in 1984 .