8 NEWS
for your patients aged ≥70 years who test positive for COVID-19 1, 2
8 NEWS
22 AUGUST 2025 ausdoc. com. au
Patients rate co-ordinated care
Adjunct Clinical Professor Karen Price. |
Ciara Seccombe PATIENTS with chronic diseases have given Australia a podium finish for healthcare co-ordination despite doctors’ concerns about primary care fragmentation.
The OECD’ s first Patient-Reported Indicator Survey was published in July, covering 19 countries.
It placed Australia in the top five for quality care, patient-centred care, healthcare co-ordination, and selfreported physical health outcomes. The survey involved 107,000
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patients aged 45 or older who had seen a GP in the preceding six months and had a chronic condition— most commonly hypertension, arthritis, joint pain or back pain.
Patients judged healthcare co-ordination based on the quality of care planning, support to self-manage their condition, whether they had a primary health co-ordinator, and generally whether their care felt integrated.
In Australia, 74 % of patients felt their care was co-ordinated.
Only Switzerland( 81 %) and
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Romania( 78 %) did better, with France down at 61 %, Norway at 51 % and Wales at 22 %.
The report showed politicians that continuity of care was valued by patients, former RACGP president Adjunct Clinical Professor Karen Price said.
“ This again reinforces the need for governments and policy to properly support access to generalists and GPs.
“ Every costly piece of bandaid reactive policy is fragmenting and moving the social contract from one of
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healthcare to one of consumer care.” Australia’ s weakness? The time patients spent with their GP.
Of the 2932 Australian participants, only 24 % said their GP practice scheduled consultations longer than 15 minutes, compared with the average of 47 % across the 19 countries, according to the report.
More than 85 % of Norwegian and Portuguese patients said their GP practice scheduled consultations longer than 15 minutes. bit. ly / 3HdEneo
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Reasons to consider LAGEVRIO
for your patients aged ≥70 years who test positive for COVID-19 1, 2
LAGEVRIO must be for use when nirmatrelvir-ritonavir is contraindicated. 1, 2
Proven
In MOVe-OUT, LAGEVRIO reduced the risk for hospitalisation or death vs. placebo through Day 29 by 30 %( adjusted relative risk reduction) in adult patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 4
( 95 % CI: 1 %, 51 %; 6.8 %( 48 / 709 ] vs 9.7 %( 68 / 699). Adjusted risk difference-3.0 %( 95 % CI-5.9 %,-0.1 %), p-value not available). Based on a planned interim analysis of LAGEVRIO vs placebo: The adjusted risk difference was-6.8 %( 95 % CI:-11.3 %,-2.4; 7.3 %( 53 / 377) vs 14.1 %( 28 / 385); p = 0.0024).
Real-world studies, 5-9 including the local Victorian study published in 2023, 5 also support the use of LAGEVRIO in treating older vaccinated patients with mild to moderate COVID-19.
Treatment-related adverse events ≥ 1 %( MOVe-OUT, LAGEVRIO vs placebo): 3 Diarrhoea( 2 % vs 2 %), nausea( 1 % vs 1 %), dizziness( 1 % vs 1 %)
No No to reduce risk of hospitalisation or death 3, 4
known drug interactions based on limited data available 3
dose adjustments required in patients with renal and / or hepatic impairment 3
▼This medicine is subject to additional monitoring in Australia. This will allow quick identification of new safety information. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse events at www. tga. gov. au / reporting-problems.
SELECTED SAFETY INFORMATION 3 INDICATION: LAGEVRIO has provisional approval for the treatment of adults with COVID-19 who do not require initiation of oxygen due to COVID-19 and who are at increased risk for hospitalisation or death. The decision to approve this indication was based on efficacy and safety data from a Phase 3 trial. Continued approval of this indication depends on additional data. CONTRAINDICATIONS: Hypersensitivity to the active substance or any of the excipients. Hypersensitivity reactions have been reported with LAGEVRIO. If signs or symptoms of a clinically significant hypersensitivity reaction occur, immediately discontinue LAGEVRIO and initiate appropriate medications and / or supportive care. PRECAUTIONS: Pregnancy Category D: The use of LAGEVRIO is not recommended during pregnancy. In women of childbearing potential, health care providers should discuss the chance that they may be pregnant and consider the need for a pregnancy test. Contraception: Advise women of childbearing potential to use effective contraception for the duration of treatment and for 4 days after the last dose of LAGEVRIO. Sexually active men with a partner of childbearing potential should use contraception during and for 3 months after treatment. Based on animal data, LAGEVRIO may cause foetal harm when administered to pregnant women. Breastfeeding: Based on the potential for adverse reactions on the infant from LAGEVRIO, breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment and for 4 days after the last dose of LAGEVRIO. Paediatric patients: Use in patients under the age of 18 years is not recommended. ADVERSE REACTIONS: Common: nausea, diarrhoea, dizziness. The following have been reported in post-marketing experience: hypersensitivity, angioedema, erythema, pruritus, rash, urticaria, vomiting.
Scan to access study design for registration study 4
PBS information: Authority required( STREAMLINED): LAGEVRIO must be for use when nirmatrelvir(&) ritonavir is contraindicated. 1 The contraindications to nirmatrelvir(&) ritonavir can be found using the Liverpool COVID-19 Drug interaction checker or the TGA-approved Product
1, 10, 11
Information for nirmatrelvir(&) ritonavir. Visit www. pbs. gov. au for more information.
References: 1. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. www. pbs. gov. au( accessed March 2024). 2. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Lagevrio ®( molnupiravir) Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Factsheet – Updated 1 December 2024. https:// www. pbs. gov. au / publication / factsheets / covid-19-treatments / PBS-Factsheet-lagevrio-molnupiravir-updated- December-2024. pdf( accessed December 2024). 3. LAGEVRIO Product Information, October 2023. 4. Bernal AJ et al. N Engl J Med 2022; 509 – 520. 5. Van Heer C et al. Lancet Reg Health West Pac 2023; 41:100917. 6. Gentry CA et al. J Infect 2023; 86( 3): 248 – 255. 7. Lin DY et al. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6( 9): e2335077. 8. Park HR et al Infect Chemother 2023; 55( 4): 490 – 499. 9. Abu Ahmad W et al. Clin Microbiol Infect 2024; 30( 10): 1305 – 1311. 10. Paxlovid( nirmatrelvir-ritonavir) Product Information. December 2024. 11. University of Liverpool. COVID-19 Drug Interaction Checker. Available at https:// covid19-druginteractions. org / checker( accessed March 2024).
Before prescribing, please review the full Product Information available at www. msdinfo. com. au / lagevriopi or by scanning the QR code.
Copyright © 2025 Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and its affi iates. All rights reserved. Merck Sharp & Dohme( Australia) Pty Limited. Level 1 – Building A, 26 Talavera Road, Macquarie Park NSW 2113. MSDA0156 / 01. AU-ANV-00634 v2.0. Issued January 2025.
Woman’ s blood type unique
Jamie Thannoo THE discovery of a blood type unique to one woman has reminded doctors to think beyond the familiar ABO and Rh types.
Researchers announced in June that they had identified another blood type belonging to the new PIGZ blood group, unique to one woman from the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe.
The woman, 68, was found to have a mutation in her PIGZ gene that impacted how certain proteins bind to her red blood cells.
This meant nobody else had blood compatible with hers, even universal donors.
The researchers from the French Blood Establishment started a blood donor campaign in Guadeloupe to discover if others of Caribbean descent had the blood type, dubbed“ Gwada negative”.
Lifeblood researcher Dr Rena Hirani, who has documented blood type diversity in Australia, said people from certain ethnic groups were more likely to have rarer blood types.
As Australia becomes more diverse, unusual blood types could become more common, she said.
“ It’ s important for GPs to think about a discussion with patients from different communities, to say to them:‘ If you’ re healthy and you can donate blood, you should consider that, because it supports your community,’” Dr Hirani said.
Dr Rena Hirani.