Australian Prescriber Podcast

David Liew talks to Linny Phuong, paediatric infectious diseases physician, about changes to prevention and management of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). They discuss how RSV infections affect communities in Australia, high-risk groups to watch out for, and when to test for RSV. Linny also outlines available RSV immunisations for different populations. Read the full article by Linny and her co-author, David Foley, in Australian Prescriber.

Dhineli Perera chats with Allen Cheng, director of Infectious Diseases at Monash Health and member of the Antibiotic Expert Group, about some of the updates in the latest version of Therapeutic Guidelines: Antibiotic. Allen talks about changes to severity assessment and treatment for community-acquired pneumonia, updated antimicrobial dosing advice, a new tiered approach for managing patients with sepsis and much more.

Jo Cheah talks to Bronwyn Jenkins, consultant neurologist, about the role of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)–targeted therapies in migraine treatment. Bronwyn explains the difference between tension-type headaches and migraines, and outlines current treatment options. The conversation also covers adverse effects, patient eligibility, and other important considerations for prescribers. Read the full article in Australian Prescriber.

Justin Coleman speaks with Kate Ziser, a pharmacist at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, about her paper on the role of triple antithrombotic therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation following coronary stent insertion. Kate explains when triple therapy is indicated, the duration of therapy, and the step-down approach to antithrombotic therapy. Read the full article by Kate and her co-authors in Australian Prescriber.

Laura Beaton chats with Nadia Mouchaileh, senior pharmacist, and Jillian Cameron, head of movement disorders and consultant neurologist at Austin Health, about device-assisted therapies for Parkinson disease. They discuss the benefits vs traditional therapies, when to refer patients to a specialised movement disorder centre and what to look for when caring for a patient using a device. Read the full article in Australian Prescriber.

Jo Cheah talks to Debra Kennedy, director of MotherSafe, about her paper on drug safety in pregnancy. Debra discusses the key considerations when stopping or starting a medicine during pregnancy, and the ways in which medicines can affect developing fetuses. Debra also explains the Australian categorisation system for prescribing medicines in pregnancy. Read the full article by Debra and her co-author, Ronald Batagol, in Australian Prescriber.

Dhineli Perera speaks with Lee Fong, a medical advisor for the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, about the need to establish a national clinical care standard for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Lee explains how the Standard can be used to identify gaps in care and optimise the management of patients with COPD. Read the full article by Lee and his co-authors in Australian Prescriber.

David Liew talks to Claire Larter, a medical officer at the pharmacovigilance branch of the TGA, about her paper on adverse event reporting. Claire explains why pharmacovigilance is important for clinicians, and outlines what type of adverse events should be reported. The conversation also covers the process of reporting adverse events and how the TGA handles reports. Read the full article by Claire and her co-authors in Australian Prescriber.

Laura Beaton chats with Paul Kubler, director of Rheumatology at Royal Brisbane and Women's hospital, about how to identify and manage antiphospholipid syndrome. They discuss the key presentations of APS, classification criteria and approaches to treatment. They also cover patients with catastrophic APS and asymptomatic people with persistent antiphospholipid antibodies. Read the full article by Paul and his co-authors in Australian Prescriber.

Jo Cheah talks with Eileen Cole, GP lead, and Jennifer Kyi, pharmacist advisor at Quit, about the use of therapeutic vapes for smoking cessation. They discuss the current evidence and new Australian guidelines. The conversation also covers choosing a vape and how to prescribe or supply vapes. Read the full article by Eileen, Jennifer, and their co-authors, in Australian Prescriber.

In this episode Dhineli Perera speaks to John Turnidge, who leads the national surveillance program for Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Australia. They discuss the significant impact of the pandemic on reducing antibiotic use in the community, and how this benefit can be sustained and improved on. Read the full article by John and his co-authors, Carolyn Hullick and Kim Stewart, in Australian Prescriber.

Laura Beaton chats with Debbie Rigby, from the National Asthma Council, about her paper on inhaler device selection for people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Debbie outlines the different types of inhalers available, and explains their benefits, limitations and environmental considerations. They also discuss ensuring patients are using their inhalers effectively. Read the full article by Debbie in Australian Prescriber.

Jo Cheah talks to Tom Simpson, President, and Jerry Yik, Head of Policy and Advocacy, at Advanced Pharmacy Australia. They discuss the ongoing challenge of medicine shortages in Australia, and advise on how to identify, communicate and manage shortages using available resources. Read the full article by Tom and Jerry in Australian Prescriber.

Laura Beaton chats with endocrinologist Jillian Tay about her article on the pharmacological management of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). They discuss the 2023 international PCOS guideline, including updates to the diagnostic criteria, and different pharmacological treatments to manage symptoms of PCOS. Read the full article by Jillian and her co-author, Carolyn Ee, in Australian Prescriber.

Dhineli Perera talks to complex care coordinator Deirdre Criddle and senior pharmacist Rohan Elliott about their paper on safe medication management during transitions of care from hospital. They cover the potential hazards that arise during transitions of care, available services, and the need for a stewardship framework for managing hospital transitions. Read the full paper by Deirdre, Rohan, and their co-authors, in Australian Prescriber.

Laura Beaton sits down with infectious diseases physician Anna Pierce to discuss her article on the management of occupational exposure to blood and body fluids in primary care. Anna explains the importance of prevention measures, the steps to take after an exposure, as well as the principles of management for exposure to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. Read the full article in Australian Prescriber.

David Liew talks to rheumatologist Nicola Cook about the utility of common investigations for suspected inflammatory arthritis in adults. They discuss the notion of pretest probability and how this is used to determine the utility of testing, and the role of specific tests. Nicola also talks about the potential harm of overinvestigation. Read the full article by Nicola and her co-author, Rachelle Buchbinder, in Australian Prescriber.

Dhineli Perera chats with infectious diseases physician Emily Tucker about her article on controversies in the management of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in adults. Laura talks about severity scoring tools, organisms involved with CAP, and the antibiotics and other treatments used to manage CAP. Read the full article by Emily and her co-authors in Australian Prescriber.

Dhineli Perera talks to Jonathan Dartnell, managing director of QUM Connect, and Darlene Cox, Executive Director of Health Care Consumers' Association, about changes to the quality use of medicines landscape. They discuss the challenges and opportunities following the closure of NPS MedicineWise and speculate on the future of QUM in Australia. Read the full article by Jonathan, Darlene, and their co-authors, in Australian Prescriber. This interview was conducted on 3 July 2024.

Laura Beaton talks to pharmacist Aili Langford and geriatrician Sarah Hilmer about their article on deprescribing antihypertensive drugs in frail older adults. They discuss how the potential benefits and harms of lowering blood pressure may change with increasing age and frailty, the evidence for deprescribing, and how to deprescribe antihypertensive drugs. Read the full article by Aili, Sarah, and their co-authors, in Australian Prescriber.

David Liew speaks with geriatrician and dementia specialist Louise Waite about her article on new and emerging therapies for Alzheimer disease. Louise explains key biomarkers for Alzheimer disease, and the potentially disease-modifying monoclonal antibody therapies that have been approved by the FDA and are now being considered by the TGA in Australia. Read the full article by Louise in Australian Prescriber.

Justin Coleman talks to Darren Mansfield, Director of the Epworth Sleep Centre, about his article on the diagnosis and management of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in adults. Darren outlines high-risk populations for OSA and the importance of screening. He also covers treatments, including CPAP therapy, positional and oral appliances, and surgical options. Read the full article by Darren and his co-author, Daniel Hynes, in Australian Prescriber.

Jo Cheah speaks to Peter Wark about his article on biologic therapies for severe asthma with persistent type 2 inflammation. Peter explains the difference between difficult and severe asthma and how to test for persistent type 2 inflammation. He also runs through the available biologics and when and how they are used. Read the full article by Peter and his co-author, Sahan Chandrasekara, in Australian Prescriber.

Justin Coleman talks to Garry Jennings, Chief Medical Advisor of the National Heart Foundation of Australia, about his article on the 2023 Australian Guideline for Assessing and Managing Cardiovascular Disease Risk. Garry discusses the updates to the guideline, including the age from which assessment should occur and new risk factors considered, and he gives some tips for communicating cardiovascular disease risk to patients. Read the full article by Garry and his co-authors in Australian Prescriber. 

David Liew talks to gastroenterologist Varan Perananthan about his article on diagnosis and management of eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE). Varan explains the causes and symptoms of EoE, why the prevalence has been increasing, and how to differentiate EoE from gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. Also discussed are dietary approaches for identifying food triggers and pharmacological treatments for EoE. Read the full article by Varan and his co-author, Rebecca Burgell, in Australian Prescriber.

Laura Beaton talks to Leonie Callaway, Obstetric and General Physician and Director of Research at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, about her article on the management of pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy. Leonie talks about maternal and fetal complications and the importance of high-quality preconception care, factors that can affect glucose control and the benefits of continuous glucose monitoring, and postpartum care. Read the full article by Leonie and her co-author Fiona Britten in Australia Prescriber.

Laura Beaton speaks to Karen Magraith, GP and immediate-past president of the Australasian Menopause Society, about treatments for menopausal symptoms. They discuss the benefits of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and how to choose the most suitable preparation, as well as duration of therapy and nonhormonal treatment options for those with contraindications to MHT. Read the full article by Karen and her co-author, Christina Jang, in Australian Prescriber.

Dhineli Perera sits down with Adam Nelson to discuss updates in the management of hypercholesterolaemia. Adam explains how triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol differ in their links to cardiovascular disease. He provides useful tips for checking a lipid profile and highlights other tests that may be helpful when assessing a patient with hypercholesterolaemia. Adam also explains the latest in treatments for reducing LDL cholesterol concentrations and what this means for the role of statins. Read the full article by Adam Nelson and Stephen Nicholls in Australian Prescriber.

Jo Cheah chats with clinical pharmacologist Richard Day about off-label prescribing. Ric explains why off-label prescribing occurs, the barriers to getting new indications added to a drug's approved label, and the potential risks of off-label prescribing without sufficient evidence. Read the full article by Richard Day in Australian Prescriber.

Justin Coleman sits down with Lee Fong to discuss the changes to the latest version of Therapeutic Guidelines: Dermatology. Lee talks about misconceptions around the use of topical corticosteroids, tailoring treatments to the subtype of acne, and management tips for scabies, sweating disorders, psoriasis and much more.

Dhineli Perera and Andrew McLachlan, Dean of The University of Sydney's Pharmacy School, talk about the 2022 National Medicines Policy. Andrew gives an overview of the refreshed Policy, what's changed, and how the Policy can be implemented into practice. Read the full article by Andrew and his colleague, Parisa Aslani, in Australian Prescriber.

Dhineli Perera chats with clinical pharmacologist and fellow podcast host David Liew about Australia's top 10 drugs over the last 2 years. David explains the relationship between the PBAC and the PBS and the different ways the top 10 drugs are presented, and offers some insights into why particular drugs are on the lists. Read the full articles for 2021-22 and 2022-23 in Australian Prescriber.

Laura Beaton speaks to psychiatrist David Castle about enhanced physical health monitoring for people with schizophrenia and the unique challenges to implementing preventive health care in these patients. David discusses modifiable physical health risk factors and how these can be addressed as part of a multidisciplinary holistic approach to care. Read the full article by David and his co-author, Amy Li, in Australian Prescriber.

Jo Cheah speaks with Jodie Austin, a clinical informatics specialist, about using new technologies to deliver health care. The conversation focuses on using digital health to improve prescribing and medication management, through the use of digital dashboards and machine learning. Jodie also outlines the role of the clinician in the developing digital world. Read the full article by Jodie Austin and her co-authors in Australian Prescriber.

Dhineli Perera talks to Geoffrey Sussman, an expert on wound management, about the latest updates in the field. The conversation covers the importance of identifying the cause of a wound and tailoring the treatment accordingly. Geoff also provides useful tips for assessing wounds, the difference between acute and chronic wounds, and best practice for applying wound dressings. Read the full article by Geoffrey Sussman in Australian Prescriber.

Jo Cheah and endocrinologist Benjamin Sly discuss devices for self-monitoring blood glucose concentrations. The conversation covers both capillary (fingerprick) monitoring and continuous blood glucose monitoring, the types of monitoring devices available to patients and their different features. Ben explains how to select the most appropriate device. Read the full article by Benjamin Sly and his co-author Janet Taylor in Australian Prescriber.

SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists now have well-established cardiovascular and renal benefits. What does this mean for their role in the management of type 2 diabetes? Justin Coleman chats with endocrinologist and clinical pharmacologist, Tilenka Thynne, about this and other updates to Therapeutic Guidelines Diabetes.

David Liew talks to Ketaki Sharma, a staff specialist at the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, about the latest developments in COVID-19 vaccines and what the future of vaccination looks like in Australia—who needs boosters and which vaccine should they have? Read the full article by Ketaki and her co-author, Jean Li-Kim-Moy, in Australian Prescriber. This interview was conducted on 21 October 2023. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation released recommendations on the use of monovalent Omicron XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccines on 20 November 2023.

David Liew speaks with infectious diseases physician Ella Meumann. They discuss the latest developments in COVID-19 testing and how the pandemic affected our virus-testing strategies. Read the full article by Ella and her co-author, Jennifer Robson, in Australian Prescriber. This interview was conducted on 28 August 2023.

Laura Beaton talks to Professor Gayle Ross, a Dermatologist at Royal Melbourne Hospital, about treating atopic dermatitis, otherwise known as eczema. If you're itching for more information on the latest treatment options, this conversation will scratch that itch! Read the full article in Australian Prescriber.

Dhineli Perera talks to Dr David Liew, clinical pharmacologist and rheumatologist, and Elizabeth Su, clinical pharmacist. David and Liz share their experiences working in medicines stewardship and outline the objectives and broad strategies used in stewardship programs. Read the full article in Australian Prescriber.

Justin Coleman chats with GP and addiction specialist, Dr Hester Wilson, about Therapeutic Guidelines' first ever Addiction guidelines.

 A spoonful of sugar? Dhineli Perera chats with pharmacist Lucinda Smith about some of the tricks and tips that help make the medicine go down. Read the full article in Australian Prescriber.

Justin Coleman chats with Professor Nick Zwar about the latest changes to the Australian Asthma Handbook. These include updated advice on exercise-induced asthma, dosing information, and use of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation.

Justin Coleman chats to gastroenterologist Chris Rayner about gastrointestinal disorders – from the top to the bottom.

David Liew chats with rheumatologist Lyn March and trainee physician Jimmy Zhu about the latest in osteoporosis – how to assess risk, lifestyle factors, and the drugs used to treat.

Dhineli Perera chats to infectious diseases specialist Anna Ralph about acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. Who gets these conditions, how are they diagnosed, and how do we manage them?

Dhineli Perera chats to nephrologist Gopi Rangan about autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease – simple interventions, drug treatment and pain management.

Laura Beaton chats to sexual health physician Michael Lowy about the causes, assessment and management options for men with erectile dysfunction.

Normally used as a glucose-lowering agent in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, SGLT2 inhibitors have been found to have beneficial effects in patients with heart failure and kidney disease. Jo Cheah finds out more from cardiologist John Atherton.

Justin Coleman chats to infectious diseases physician Emily Tucker about one of the more common presentations in primary care – sore throat.