Medicines Australia COVID-19 Update

Medicines Australia
COVID-19 Update

11 September 2020

Dear Health Consumer Organisation Leads,

The Continuity of Care Collaboration (CCC) is launching a public health campaign, #dontwaitmate next week to encourage people to continue with their health management during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim is to communicate consistently the importance of looking after your health, whether that is managing a chronic health condition, getting preventative screening tests or pathology tests, or seeking immediate treatment and care if you have urgent and/or new symptoms.

The objective for the #dontwaitmate campaign is to help people, patients and carers in Australia feel safe to continue to go and see their doctor, nurse, pharmacist, allied health professional and dentist, and to also not put of tests such as blood tests, cancer screening or x-rays and scans.

There are measures in place to help people feel safe to access their health care needs remotely, such as Telehealth, e-prescribing of medicines, home delivery of medicines. If people do need to physically go to a clinic or hospital, personal protective equipment, regular cleaning and distancing measures are all in place - it is all about patient safety.

Watch the #dontwaitmate video

We want to hear from you

Please reach out to us if you would like to include any articles in these updates. Please email Petrina Keogh.

Industry Update for the Community

Follow MA on your social networks for the most up-to-date information:

Twitter - @MedicinesAus
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/medicines-australia

• AstraZeneca & Oxford University have voluntarily paused its clinical trial vaccination for COVID-19 to allow for a review of the safety and data by an independent committee. For more information, click here.

• PharmAus Session 4 will be held on 17 September 2020, 10:00am – 11:30am- The impact of COVID-19 on Government finances and why a healthy Australia means a healthy economy. Will the Health Technology Assessment and vaccines listing process need to change? Register here

• The next Continuity of Care Collaboration webinar - “Preventative Health” will be held on Friday 25th September, 11am-12pm and is open to all HCPs, Industry, patients, consumers and interested general public. Please register here.

• Why healthcare companies should build relationships with HCOs, featuring Medicines Australia, Director Ethics & Compliance Sophie Hibburd.

• IFPMA: Innovative vaccine industry strongly committed to rigorous regulatory standards for approval of COVID-19 vaccines.

Government Update for the Community

• Changes to the JobKeeper Payment Find out if more of your employees now qualify for the JobKeeper Payment.

• Balancing the integrity of the cash flow boost One of the ATO's key focus areas is ensuring eligible organisations receive the support of the cash flow boost. We have an important role of keeping the system fair which means dealing swiftly with those who fraudulently take advantage of the measure. Read Assistant Commissioner Kasey Macfarlane's LinkedIn pulse article which discusses our approach to compliance.

Developments in Healthcare Sector

• The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is helping people in Australia care for patients with the COVID-19 virus at home. The RACGP has released a home-care for people caring for those with mild COVID-19 as well as guidelines for GPs providing home-based care.

HCO's Update

• Medicines Australia and its members are delighted to be partnering with Hancock Creative to offer you access to their 3-month Social Media Fundraising program. This program is part of Medicines Australia COVID-19 relief efforts and is designed to give you the skills and knowledge you need to fundraise in a digital environment. Register now.

• Leukaemia Foundation: Blood Cancer Awareness month. People with blood cancer have the best chance of surviving and living well when they’re diagnosed quickly and treated with the best medicines.If you are interested in supporting Blood Cancer Awareness month or would like to know more information, click here.

• Musculoskeletal Australia National Consumer Survey open now. The survey will be the largest and most comprehensive consumer-driven survey in Australia of people living with musculoskeletal conditions, or those caring for someone with a condition, to determine how their care can be improved. Take the survey now

Tools and Resources

• Insight Strategy Jody Fassima share his tips for preparing a parliamentary submission Watch video.

• CHF Talks webinar: Social prescribing view the replay here.

• Access COVID-19 industry resources. COVID-19 has presented unique challenges for every person and every industry, including the social good community. We’ve compiled a list of resources to address some of the unique concerns facing the social good community and empower you to deal with this situation while continuing to support your critical mission.

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