Generic prescribing now the rule

New PBS rules require medicines to be prescribed by active ingredient name rather than by brand name, except for a few exemptions. From 1 February, the Active Ingredient Prescribing policy requires the inclusion of active ingredients on all PBS and RPBS prescriptions, except for handwritten prescriptions; paper based medication charts in the residential aged care sector; products containing four or more active ingredients; and certain items where brand names should be specified for safety or practicality reasons – such as EpiPens. The exempt items are listed on the List of Medicines for Brand Consideration. The Department of Health says prescribers can still prescribe medicines by brand if clinically necessary, and the brand name will appear after the active ingredient. A prescriber may also still choose to disallow brand substitution. The changes will be incorporated into prescribing software but this cannot be set to automatically include brand names for every prescription.

Sports concussion: focus on the big games is misplaced
The majority of sports concussions happen during the preseason (72%) and during practice (67%), according to a US study of over 500,000 head impacts in US college football players. The findings over five seasons suggest that rule changes to protect players during competition are not enough to prevent concussion and its sequelae. Instead, “alternative training paradigms” were warranted to maximise competitiveness but minimise head impact exposure and risk during the preseason and routine practice. Getting players, coaches and administrators on board is the first goal.
JAMA

Medical advisor added to the team at Dementia Australia

Neurologist and dementia researcher Professor Amy Brodtmann has recently been appointed an honorary medical advisor for the peak body Dementia Australia. Professor Brodtmann is a stroke and cognitive neurologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Austin Health and Eastern Health and co-head of the Dementia Theme at the Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health. She has a special interest in frontotemporal dementia. Professor Brodtmann joins Scientia Professor Henry Brodaty and Associate Professor Michael Woodward on the team of honour medical advisors.