- Walking together, Learning together – CCQ Cultural Awareness and Cultural Safety training
- Indigenous Health Incentive update
- Sunshine Coast Health’s Minor Injury and Illness Clinic Caloundra Extended hours
- Health Workforce Scholarship program now open
- New milestones achieved in medication safety
- Launch of Australia’s first care standard for COPD
- More medicines available for 60-day prescriptions
- The Australian Government’s vaping reforms
- ATAGI – Minor update to mpox
Walking Together, Learning Together – Cultural Awareness and Cultural Safety training
If you work in health and haven’t participated in recent cultural awareness training – don’t miss out! ‘Walking Together, Learning Together’ is a unique cultural awareness experience for health professionals – an opportunity for your whole team! Hosted in Maroochydore, this training will help participants extend their knowledge about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture, explore how attitudes and values can influence perceptions, assumptions and behaviours in a clinical setting, and discuss key ways the entire healthcare team can be more culturally aware. Register now for the 29 November RACGP accredited training in Maroochydore.
Practice Incentives Program – Indigenous Health Incentive (PIP IHI) Update
Lifetime registration
From 1 January 2025, Indigenous Health Incentive (IHI) registration will become lifetime registration. This applies to any new patient registered from 1 November 2024.
New patient registrations with:
- a date of consent in 2024 will have a lifetime registration start date of 1 January 2025
- a date of consent from 2025 onwards will have a lifetime registration start date of the 2025 date of consent.
For new patients, registrations will no longer be backdated to the beginning of the year.
From 1 November 2024, patients already registered for IHI with an end date of 31 December 2024 will automatically receive lifetime registration. These patients will not need to be re-registered.
Find out how to apply for the Indigenous Health Incentive.
Indigenous Health Incentive (IHI) payment changes
Over the past 3 years, patient registration payments have gradually decreased and payments associated with regular MBS patient consultations have increased.
Accordingly, with the introduction of lifetime registration from 1 January 2025, there will no IHI patient registration payments when a patient receives a lifetime registration.
From 1 January 2025, however, Tier 2 outcome payments will also double to $300.
There will still be a registration payment for patients who receive a 2024 registration only. That is, those who gave consent between 1 January and 31 October 2024 and the registration is processed by 31 January 2025.
Read more about the changes to the Practice Incentives Program here and here
Sunshine Coast Health’s Minor Injury and Illness Clinic Caloundra extended hours
The Minor Injury and Illness Clinic at Caloundra Health Service now has extended hours. The facility is now open from 8.00am to 10.00pm, Monday to Sunday, to help support the demand from working families after 5pm. Located at the Caloundra Health Service, 2 West Terrace Caloundra. Free parking onsite. Learn more.
Health Workforce Scholarship program now open
Scholarships or bursaries are available for medical, nursing/midwifery, dental, allied health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers providing primary healthcare services in rural and remote Queensland in private practice, an Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS), Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) or a non-government or not-for-profit organisation. Learn more.
New milestones achieved in medication safety
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has published the Medication without harm – WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge Status Report. This report highlights Australia’s significant progress towards reducing medication errors and adverse drug events, a critical goal of the WHO Global Health Challenge. Substantial improvements have been made since the release of Australia’s response in 2020, which outlined 16 priority actions to reduce medication-related harm by 50% by 2025. To support ongoing efforts, a Priority Action Status Summary is included, offering a clear overview of our progress and the current status of activities.
Launch of Australia’s first care standard for COPD
The first national Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Clinical Care Standard, developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, aims to reduce hospital admissions and improve quality of life for people living with COPD by ensuring accurate diagnosis and best-practice management in both community and hospital settings.
More medicines available for 60-day prescriptions
Almost 300 PBS medicines are now available for 60-day prescriptions. If your patients are living with a stable, ongoing health condition, check the list of medicines available for 60-day prescriptions. Prescribers will decide the quantity of medicine supplied based on their patient’s condition at the time. The maximum number of repeats for 60-day prescriptions is the same as for the 30-day supply. This excludes anti-depressants. For prescriptions allowing 5 repeats, this may provide up to 12 months’ supply of medicine from one prescription. Find more information on 60-day prescriptions Cheaper medicines | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
The Australian Government’s vaping reforms
People 18 years or over will be able to purchase nicotine vapes from pharmacies without a prescription, subject to certain conditions. People younger than 18 will still need a prescription, subject to state and territory laws. These changes will allow people to access vapes where clinically appropriate, while maintaining controls and protections. The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia is also providing guidelines and support for pharmacists for reforms. View more information about the changes Vaping hub | Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA
ATAGI – Minor update to mpox Handbook chapter applied, as ATAGI remains alert
The handbook mpox chapter was updated to reflect ATAGI’s most recent interim statement on mpox vaccination in Australia, amid an ongoing upswing in cases across the country. The ATAGI interim statement removed the previous age restriction for mpox vaccination, and people of all ages who are at risk of exposure to mpox are now recommended to receive a two-dose course of JYNEOSS vaccine – which studies suggest is moderately to highly effective in both preventing mpox infection and reducing the severity of symptoms if mpox infection does occur. The latest National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System data show 884 mpox cases have been recorded in Australia in 2024 to date – more than five times as many as in 2022 and 2023 combined. Click here for the Mpox chapter in the ATAGI handbook – Mpox (previously known as monkeypox) | The Australian Immunisation Handbook (health.gov.au)