Regulatory responses to over-the-counter codeine analgesic misuse in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Objective: Analysis of the policy response by Australia's National Drugs and Poisons Schedule Committee (NDPSC) and comparison with recommendations by expert advisory committees in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Methods: Analysis of public policy documents of relevant regulatory authorities was conducted. Data were extracted regarding changes to over-the-counter (OTC) codeine analgesic scheduling, indications, maximum unit dose, maximum daily dose, maximum pack size, warning labels, consumer medicine information and advertising.

Over-the-counter codeine analgesic misuse and harm: characteristics of cases in Australia and New Zealand.

Aim: To describe the characteristics of clients addicted to over-the-counter (OTC) codeine analgesics presenting to an Auckland open-access clinic, and to compare them to clients admitted to a New Zealand detoxification unit, and in the Australian community.

Method: Cross-sectional study of clients presenting to a regional, open-access detoxification clinic covering the Greater Auckland area between 1 January and 31 March 2010.

Results: Fifteen clients were analysed, and compared to 77 similar clients identified in Victoria and five other Australian States, and 7 clients admitted to a New Zealand detoxification unit.

Addiction and addiction medicine: exploring opportunities for the general practitioner.

Addiction medicine deals with problems arising from the use of psychoactive substances, and encompasses the disciplines of general practice and primary care, psychiatry, psychology, internal medicine, public health, pharmacology and sociology. Addiction is a chronic, relapsing illness that is difficult to cure. There are now effective, evidence-based interventions for the prevention and treatment of substance misuse disorders.

Cancer education and training in primary health care--a national audit of training providers.

Background: Primary care professionals play a critical role in cancer care but relatively little is known about their education and training. This article presents the results of a national audit of education and training providers in relation to primary care and cancer.

Method: A semistructured telephone questionnaire.

The research potential of practice nurses: what contribution to primary health care research?

Primary health care (PHC) is at the core of effective, sustainable population healthcare. Although PHC research has been described as the missing link in the development of high-quality, evidence-based health care for populations, research outputs have been disappointingly low in Australia and overseas. This paper reviews the current status of PHC research in Australia, particularly relating to funding and research capacity building needed to conduct high quality and relevant research with significant transfer potential for practice and policy.

General practitioners and cancer control.

Cancer is the leading cause of death among Australians, causing 28% of all deaths. The average general practitioner will only encounter about four new patients each year with a potentially fatal cancer. A GP's cancer-related workload mostly involves prevention, and dealing with patients with suspicious symptoms or concerns about possible cancer, or who may be at increased risk due to family history or lifestyle factors.

A randomised control trial of a self-management program for people with a chronic illness from Vietnamese, Chinese, Italian and Greek backgrounds.

Objective: This study investigated the effectiveness of the Chronic Disease Self-management Program (CDSMP) when delivered to for people from Vietnamese, Chinese, Italian and Greek backgrounds living in Victoria, Australia.

Method: The CDSMP was administered to 320 people with chronic illnesse(es) in selected low income areas in the State of Victoria, Australia. At 6 months, they were compared with randomised wait-list control subjects (n=154) using analyses of covariance.

Primary health care research--essential but disadvantaged.

Primary health care is the foundation of effective, sustainable population health and is associated with higher patient satisfaction and reduced aggregate health spending. Although improving patient care requires a sound evidence base, rigorously designed studies remain under-represented in primary care research. The pace of research activity in general practice and the rate and quality of publications do not match the pace of structural change or the level of funding provided.

Information mastery and the 21st century doctor: change management for general practitioners.

The Internet and computers have brought immense change in how society deals with information. Uptake of these technologies has been disjointed and has occurred in a non-uniform way among general practitioners, compared with other professionals. Information mastery is a key 21st century skill that GPs should acquire.

Exploring the role of self-management programmes in caring for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in Melbourne, Australia.

Background: Chronic disease self-management programmes are now an important adjunct to the treatment and care of Australians with chronic illnesses. Most programmes are delivered in English and cater for 'Anglo' views of health and illness. The Peer-Led Self-Management of Chronic Illness Project was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to test the hypothesis that the Stanford University Chronic Disease Self-Management Program would improve health outcomes for people from the Vietnamese, Greek, Chinese and Italian communities in Melbourne's north-eastern suburbs.

General practice and the New Zealand health reforms--lessons for Australia?

New Zealand's health sector has undergone three significant restructures within 10 years. The most recent has involved a Primary Health Care Strategy, launched in 2001. Primary Health Organisations (PHOs), administered by 21 District Health Boards, are the local structures for implementing the Primary Health Care Strategy.

Primary care research--what in the world is going on?

Primary care research has been described as a "lost cause", and, although this claim has been strongly refuted, general practitioners publish less research than their colleagues in surgery, medicine and public health. Despite a fivefold increase in Australian general practice research papers from the 1980s to the 1990s, fewer than half of these focused on clinical topics. Trying to establish a global figure for expenditure on general practice and primary care research is difficult, but data show that public expenditure for primary care research is minimal in Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom--fewer than 1.

Meeting the needs of patients with cancer--a GP guide to support services.

Background: A diagnosis of cancer places huge psychological and physical demands on individuals. Early stage cancer patients will frequently experience depression and elevated levels of anxiety.

Objective: This article summarises the available cancer services, categorised to address patient needs, and suggests suitable times to provide this information to patients.