Utilisation of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention in the Australian general practice setting: a longitudinal observational study.

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) became available through the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) on 1 April 2018 for HIV infection prevention in patients ≥18years at medium-to-high HIV risk. The aims were to investigate PrEP utilisation in general practice since PBS listing, and factors associated with discontinuation.

Methods: This longitudinal study included patients aged 18-74years attending general practices participating in MedicineInsight, a large-scale national primary care database of deidentified electronic health records, between October 2017 and September 2019.

Characteristics of patients aged 50–74 years with a request for an immunochemical faecal occult blood test in the Australian general practice setting.

Objective To support improving participation in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP), we aimed to identify Medicare-subsidised test requests for immunochemical faecal occult blood tests (FOBT) in Australian general practice for patients aged 50-74 years, eligible for the NBCSP, and describe sociodemographics, risk factors, indications and outcomes. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using de-identified data from 441 Australian general practice sites in the MedicineInsight database, recorded from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2019. Results Of the 683 625 eligible patients, 45 771 (6.

Patterns of real-world opioid prescribing in Australian general practice (2013-18).

Little is known about private-market opioid prescribing and how Australian opioid policies impact prescribing across public and private markets in Australia. We aimed to investigate publicly subsidised and private-market opioid prescribing from 2013 to 2018. We used prescribing records from MedicineInsight, an Australian primary care database, to examine trends in prescriptions for non-injectable opioid formulations from October 2013 to September 2018.

Prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease in the Australian general practice population: A cross-sectional study.

The burden of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Australia is increasing but national data about the current prevalence are limited. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of IBD (including Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and unspecified IBD) as well as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis separately in a general practice population in Australia. We also assessed risk factors associated with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Breathlessness and opioid prescribing in COPD in general practice: a cross-sectional, observational study.

Chronic breathlessness is a disabling syndrome, prevalent in people with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Regular, low-dose, oral sustained-release morphine is approved in Australia to reduce symptomatic chronic breathlessness. We aimed to determine the current prescribing patterns of opioids for chronic breathlessness in COPD in Australian general practice and to define any associated patient and practitioner characteristics.

Prevalence, incidence and management of atopic dermatitis in Australian general practice using routinely collected data from MedicineInsight.

Background/objectives: The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) has increased significantly in industrialised countries in recent decades but data about the incidence or prevalence of AD in Australia are sparse. We aimed to determine the prevalence and incidence of AD among patients seen in Australian general practice and the use of specified medicines.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 2.

Osteoporosis management in Australian general practice: an analysis of current osteoporosis treatment patterns and gaps in practice.

Background: Among Australians aged 50 and over, an estimated 1 in 4 men and 2 in 5 women will experience a minimal trauma fracture during their remaining lifetime. Effective fracture prevention is hindered by substantial undertreatment, even of patients who clearly warrant pharmacological therapy. Poor adherence to osteoporosis treatment is also a leading cause of repeat fractures and hospitalisation.

Primary care for people with an intellectual disability - what is prescribed? An analysis of medication recommendations from the BEACH dataset.

Background: People with intellectual disability (ID) experience a range of health disparities. Little is known about differential primary care prescribing patterns for people with and without ID.

Aim: To compare medications recommended by GPs at encounters where ID is recorded versus other encounters.

Validation of electronic medical data: Identifying diabetes prevalence in general practice.

Background:: Electronic medical records are increasingly used for research with limited external validation of their data.

Objective:: This study investigates the validity of electronic medical data (EMD) for estimating diabetes prevalence in general practitioner (GP) patients by comparing EMD with national Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) data.

Method:: A "decision tree" was created using inclusion/exclusion of pre-agreed variables to determine the probability of diabetes in absence of diagnostic label, including diagnoses (coded/free-text diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome, impaired glucose tolerance, impaired fasting glucose), diabetic annual cycle of care (DACC), glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) > 6.

Correction: Management of vertebral compression fracture in general practice: BEACH program.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Problems managed and medications prescribed during encounters with people with autism spectrum disorder in Australian general practice.

Autism spectrum disorder is associated with high rates of co-occurring health conditions. While elevated prescription rates of psychotropic medications have been reported in the United Kingdom and the United States, there is a paucity of research investigating clinical and prescribing practices in Australia. This study describes the problems managed and medications prescribed by general practitioners in Australia during encounters where an autism spectrum disorder was recorded.

No abatement of steroid injections for tennis elbow in Australian General Practice: A 15-year observational study with random general practitioner sampling.

Objective: Evaluate general practitioner (GP) management of tennis elbow (TE) in Australia.

Methods: Data about the management of TE by GPs from 2000 to 2015 were extracted from the Bettering the Evaluation of Care of Health program database. Patient and GP characteristics and encounter management data were classified by the International Classification of Primary Care, version 2, and reported using descriptive statistics with point estimates and 95% confidence intervals.

Antibiotics for acute respiratory infections in general practice: comparison of prescribing rates with guideline recommendations.

Objective: To compare the current rate of antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in Australian general practice with the recommendations in the most widely consulted therapeutic guidelines in Australia (Therapeutic Guidelines).

Design And Setting: Comparison of general practice activity data for April 2010 - March 2015 (derived from Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health [BEACH] study) with estimated rates of prescribing recommended by Therapeutic Guidelines.

Main Outcome Measures: Antibiotic prescribing rates and estimated guideline-recommended rates per 100 encounters and per full-time equivalent (FTE) GP per year for eight ARIs; number of prescriptions nationally per year.

General practice encounters for young patients with autism spectrum disorder in Australia.

This study compared the patient demographics and reasons for encounter in general practice for patients <25 years with and without an autism spectrum disorder identified as a reason for encounter and/or problem managed. The Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health programme collected information about clinical activities in Australian general practice. Each year, the programme recruited a random sample of 1000 general practitioners, each of whom collected data for 100 consecutive consultations (encounters).

Management of vertebral compression fracture in general practice: BEACH program.

Importance: The pain associated with vertebral compression fractures can cause significant loss of function and quality of life for older adults. Despite this, there is little consensus on how best to manage this condition.

Objective: To describe usual care provided by general practitioners (GPs) in Australia for the management of vertebral compression fractures.

Estimating non-billable time in Australian general practice.

Objectives: To quantify the time that general practitioners spend on patient care that is not claimable from Medicare (non-billable) and the monetary value of this work were it claimable, and to identify variables independently associated with non-billable time.

Design: Prospective, cross-sectional survey, April 2012 - March 2014.

Setting: Australian general practice; a substudy of the national Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) program.

General practitioners' prescribing of lipid-lowering medications for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, 2001-2013.

Objective: To examine the prescribing of lipid-lowering medications during general practitioner encounters with Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians from 2001 to 2013.

Design, Setting And Participants: Observational time trend study, using data from the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) survey, of 9594 primary care encounters with Indigenous patients and 750 079 encounters with non-Indigenous patients aged 30 years or over.

Main Outcome Measure: Prescription of at least one lipid-lowering medication.

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) in Australian general practice patients.

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) imposes a high level of societal and financial burden on the community. Recently, concern has been expressed regarding the number of prescriptions for proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), mostly for GORD, in Australia. This study investigated changes in the management of GORD since 2006–08.