In Brief
RACGP head backs ban on acne Pill
JOCELYN WRIGHT A POLITICIAN ’ S campaign to ban the anti-acne pill Diane-35 because of its clotting risk has been backed by RACGP president Dr Bastian Seidel .
Federal Labor MP Julian Hill has called for the cyproterone-containing combined oral contraceptive to be taken off the market after his 20-year-old daughter developed a near-fatal DVT after a long-haul flight while taking the drug .
Mr Hill told Parliament that Diane-35 was being widely prescribed off-label as a “ sexy-sounding contraceptive ” that “ makes your skin nice ” without sufficient warnings about its clotting risks . His daughter was subsequently found to have the Factor V Leiden mutation , he added .
Last week , Dr Seidel backed Mr Hill ’ s campaign , describing Diane-35 as a legacy medication that he believed carried a risk of thrombosis that outweighed any benefits .
“ Certainly it makes a lot of sense to have it restricted . If it was taken off the market completely , not many practitioners or patients would miss it ,” he told Australian Doctor .
While the drug had been used in the past as a combined oral contraception pill ( COCP ) and to control acne at the same time , there were now better and safer alternatives for acne , Dr Seidel said .
“ Topical therapies , certain systemic therapies , antibiotics — again there are so many other options before going down the COCP route
Gastro alert as rotavirus rebounds
ANTONY SCHOLEFIELD A RESURGENCE in rotavirus gastro cases among infants has prompted warnings from health authorities about the importance of hand hygiene and vaccination .
SA communicable disease experts have sounded the alarm after the number of rotavirus cases in 0-4-yearolds more than doubled , from 299 in 2016 to 658 in 2017 to date .
Infants accounted for 60 % of all rotavirus cases , with total numbers across all age groups increasing almost threefold , from 447 to 1255 last year .
A rise in rotavirus cases is also being seen in other states , according to Dr Louise Flood , acting director of the Communicable Disease Control Branch at SA Health .
“ At the moment , we don ’ t know what the reason [ for the increase ] is . Vaccine coverage is good ,” she said .
The 2015 national rotavirus surveillance report noted the emergence of novel strains of the virus , which researchers said might pose a challenge for vaccine effectiveness .
However , Dr Flood said it was too early to pinpoint an explanation .
“ There has been a change in the schedule to Rotarix from RotaTeq , but other states have that , so we don ’ t think it ’ s the reason ,” she said .
SA Chief Medical Officer Professor Paddy Phillips said the increase in rotavirus among infants was worrying but preventable .
“ Following good hand hygiene , cleaning bathroom taps and toilets with diluted bleach , disposing of infant ’ s nappies immediately , and safely washing children ’ s toys helps to significantly prevent the spread of the disease .”
Rotavirus used to be the major cause of acute severe gastroenteritis in young children but rates fell dramatically after rotavirus vaccine was added to the National Immunisation Program in 2007 .
Patient promo not so dreamy as Hunt probes after-hours $ 195k giveaway
GEIR O ’ ROURKE AN after-hours corporate is under investigation for giving away 10,000 tickets to Dreamworld , after GPs branded the promotion an inducement to use its Medicare-funded services .
Australian Doctor revealed that bulk-billing company Dial A Home Doctor had spent $ 195,000 in November booking out two exclusive nights for its patients at the Gold Coast ’ s biggest theme park .
The company , which is run by former taxi driver and selfhelp guru Zaffar Khan , claimed it wanted to “ raise community spirits ” after the flu season .
But the plan did nothing for the mood of Minister for Health Greg Hunt , who has ordered the Medicare Integrity Division to conduct an “ urgent investigation ” into the handout .
“ The Dreamworld promotion is very concerning and the department will investigate if it falls outside the rules of
Medicare ,” he said . “ If the rules have been broken , then the department has the option to impose a
An after-hours service booked out Dreamworld for its patients . partial or full disqualification from operating .”
The investigation comes amid growing speculation that Mr Hunt will announce deep cuts to after-hours rebates when he responds to the recommendations of the MBS Review Taskforce later this month .
Mr Khan did not respond to calls from Australian Doctor before going to press . However , it ’ s not the first brush with controversy for the afterhours entrepreneur .
In a 2015 interview with Australian Doctor , the Pakistani-born businessman cited then-US presidential hopeful Donald Trump as the inspiration behind his career .
“ I ’ m not an intelligent man . But if you copy a person , you don ’ t need to be intelligent ,” he said at the time .
‘ It ’ s a sexysounding contraceptive without sufficient warnings about its clotting risks .’
— Julian Hill Federal Labor MP
In Brief
Staff writers
which are considered much safer ,” he said .
Cyproterone-containing products are still recommended as an option for acne and hirsutism by groups such as the Australasian College of Dermatology and Therapeutic Guidelines .
A 2013 TGA safety review concluded that the riskbenefit ratio did not justify restrictions on Diane-35 .
It found the risk of VTE was about 1.5-2 times higher than for combined oral contraceptives containing the progesterone , levonorgestrel .
Dr Deborah Bateson , medical director of Family Planning NSW , said the calls to ban cyproteronecontaining COCPs were unwarranted , because GPs could prescribe the drug safely within the TGA-recommended indications .
“ I don ’ t want to see these pills removed from the market . In women with very severe acne it can be used but it ’ s important to remind ourselves about that indication ,” she said .
The absolute risk of thrombosis was very low for most women using COCPs , she added .
Govt drops plan to drug test jobless dole recipients
THE Federal Government has ditched its controversial plan to drug test welfare recipients . Criticised by medical groups , the initiative would have meant subjecting 5000 job seekers to random drug testing . A positive result would have resulted in a proportion of the welfare payment being quarantined for basic necessities . A second positive result meant referral for treatment . The plan has been abandoned because the government says it does not have enough crossbench support in the Senate to get the measure through parliament . “ But we are absolutely committed to the policy ... to see whether or not compelling people into treatment improves their employability and employment prospects ,” Social Services Minister Christian Porter said .
ACCC proposes renewal of authorisation to protect GPs
GPs will retain freedom to set intra-practice patient fees after the ACCC granted protection from the Competition and Consumer Act last week . The draft authorisation also allows collective bargaining by GPs in a practice for VMO services to public hospitals . The AMA secured the draft agreement with the ACCC last week . A final decision by the consumer watchdog is expected next year . For more information go to the AMA website at : bit . ly / 2BUvZcY
Correction : Doxycycline dosage in tick-borne illness IN the 8 December issue , the Grand Rounds article ‘ Talking Ticks ’ contained an error . The dosing for doxycline should have read : 2mg / kg / dose bd for children ≥8 years of age up to 100mg / dose , not 100g / dose as stated . Dr Bernard Hudson , Royal North Shore Hospital , Infectious Diseases Physician and Microbiologist , should also have been acknowledged for his expert review of this article . Australian Doctor apologises for the error .
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