Assess mental health before prescribing isotretinoin: TGA safety update
The TGA has updated the safety warnings for isotretinoin, advising doctors to conduct mental health assessments before prescribing the acne drug. The update also says…
Australian Doctor
The latest political and medical news
‘Don’t let the bastards grind you down’: Dr Mukesh Haikerwal (quietly) retires from general practice
A week into retirement Dr Mukesh Haikerwal is making all the right noises. One of Australia’s best-known GPs, the irrepressible doctor is talking holidays, movies, more…
Health Minister accuses doctors of misleading patients over safety of their three-day strike
Doctors say their planned three-day strike this week will not risk patient safety, with EDs remaining fully staffed and emergency surgeries going ahead. But NSW…
Who will take the blame when AI goes wrong — companies or doctors?
The difficulty of suing huge technology companies means doctors are more likely to bear the legal consequences if AI software goes wrong, experts warn. A…
Health department tells doctors it could report them to AHPRA if three-day strike goes ahead
Health officials have told doctors they could be reported to AHPRA for striking next week and defying a legal ban on taking industrial action. The…
Medical Must-See: A tumour that takes an average of four years to diagnose
A five-year diagnostic delay sounds terrible unless you know that, for insulinoma, a 4.3-year delay is the average. That is the takeaway from this Nepalese…
Dr Rod Aziz has taken Family Doctor from one practice to 110 — but says it’s no GP corporate
With 110 practices, 500 doctors and now a $170 million funding boost from a global investment firm, Family Doctor is another big GP practice chain, according to its…
Empagliflozin PBS listing expanded to patients with high CV risk regardless of HbA1c level
Patients with type 2 diabetes at high risk of cardiovascular events now have access to PBS-funded empagliflozin, whatever their HbA1c levels. The new PBS listing…
New Australian guidance lowers cholesterol targets for acute coronary syndrome
Patients with acute coronary syndrome should target LDL cholesterol below 1.4mmol/L and a 50% reduction compared with baseline levels, updated guidance says. The new guidance…
Tribunal says it is powerless to temporarily lift emergency suspensions on doctors before formal appeal
A doctor charged with sexual assault offences has lost a bid to temporarily lift his suspension after a tribunal decided it lacked the legal power…
