Saturday, 22 August 2026
DVA allied health threshold, Ebola vaccine stockpile release, Wearables in clinical trials
- 01
DVA sets $5000 allied health threshold from July 2027
Veterans’ allied health spending will be subject to a $5000 annual threshold from 1 July 2027, although the DVA will fund care above that amount where there is a demonstrated and valid clinical need. Open Arms psychology and family counselling appointments will not count towards the threshold, and veterans will no longer need a new referral after 12 sessions or 12 months. The DVA has not yet finalised how additional funding approvals will work, but said the process would be simple and decisions made quickly. The government said the changes would limit unnecessary over-servicing, reduce treatment-cycle administration and save about $748 million over three years, while investing $169.7 million to increase allied health fees from $75.10 to $110. GP commentators said removing recurring referrals would reduce paperwork, but uncertainty about the model had generated substantial anxiety among veterans and concern about access for those with complex needs.
- 02
Global stockpile releases 70,000 Ervebo doses for DRC Ebola outbreak
The organisation managing the global Ervebo stockpile agreed to release 70,000 doses as the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo expanded at an unprecedented rate. Merck’s vaccine protects against a different Ebola species from the Bundibugyo species causing the outbreak. Of the released doses, 20,000 will be used in a clinical trial and 50,000 given to frontline workers. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations is also funding studies of blood samples from people previously vaccinated against Ebola or Marburg viruses to assess possible cross-protection. As of 18 August, at least 5,200 cases had been confirmed and 2,476 people had died, while Bundibugyo-targeted vaccines remained in development and were probably months away in some cases.
- 03
FDA sets best practices for wearable measures in clinical trials
The FDA has outlined best practices for incorporating measurements from wearables and other digital health technologies into clinical trials. It said researchers should focus on outcomes that matter to patients, seek direct patient input and ensure technologies provide precise and accurate measurements that reflect meaningful health changes. Digital measures require analytical validation of how devices capture and convert data, as well as clinical validation that the resulting measures correspond to changes in health. The technologies can capture everyday information on sleep, mobility and cardiovascular function, potentially enabling earlier detection of treatment effects or safety signals and supporting decentralised trials. The advice aligns with the agency’s broader work on real-world evidence and patient-generated health data.
via MedTech Dive
- 04
Lilly steps up action against black-market retatrutide
The drug maker behind experimental obesity treatment retatrutide has stepped up its action against a growing black market for the unapproved peptide. The development concerns access to retatrutide outside approved channels. The source gives limited detail about the action or its scope.
- 05
RACGP forms national committee focused on GP workforce sustainability
The RACGP has formed a national expert committee to advise on the strategic, policy and system settings needed to grow, support and sustain Australia’s GP workforce. Chaired by Associate Professor Michael Clements, the committee includes international medical graduates and experts in rural health, health economics and Indigenous regulatory practice. It will collect workforce data, work with government and other stakeholders, and inform RACGP Board decisions on policy, funding, training selection and allocations. Its remit includes communities with poorer GP access across rural and remote Australia, outer metropolitan areas, culturally and linguistically diverse populations, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Associate Professor Clements said the committee would support evidence-informed advocacy and help direct appropriately trained and supported doctors to underserved areas.
via RACGP newsGP
- 06
Poll backs greater GP role in health system design
A newsGP poll found 95% of respondents agreed GPs should play a greater role in shaping Australia’s health system. South Australian GP Dr Emily Kirkpatrick said the result reflected frustration that GPs’ expertise was not adequately used in system design. She argued that GPs’ role in helping patients navigate increasingly complex care made their input important to developing services and strengthening links between primary and acute care. While GPs can advocate through the RACGP and primary health networks, Dr Kirkpatrick called for embedded GP leadership roles within state and territory health departments, where many structural and policy changes occur.
via RACGP newsGP
MDDR is a news digest for medical professionals. It is not medical advice and should not be relied on for clinical decision-making.