Tuesday, 8 September 2026
Free Shingrix access from 60, Obesity GLP-1 returns to PBAC, GLP-1 safety reporting scrutiny
- 01
New bid seeks free Shingrix access from age 60
GlaxoSmithKline Australia has again asked the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee to lower National Immunisation Program eligibility for Shingrix among non-Indigenous Australians from 65 to 60 years. The submission is scheduled for the PBAC’s November meeting. The committee rejected the previous application primarily on economic grounds and said vaccination at 60 could reduce protection later in life, when shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia are more prevalent and morbidity may be more severe. Shingrix is currently free for people aged 65 and over, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 and over, and adults aged 18 and over at increased risk because of an underlying condition or immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive treatment. People outside these groups can pay $560–$600 for the two-dose course.
via RACGP newsGP
- 02
Obesity GLP-1 receptor agonist to return to PBAC
An obesity GLP-1 receptor agonist is set to return to the PBAC for consideration. The supplied source gives limited detail, with no information about the medicine, timing, proposed listing or patients affected.
- 03
GLP-1 safety monitoring draws scrutiny as prescribing grows
Adverse effects from weight-loss drugs may be under-reported to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), potentially obscuring their true scale, according to a recent report. However, RACGP obesity chair Dr Terri-Lynne South said it was unknown whether GLP-1 medicines were more under-reported than other medications. Almost 3000 adverse event reports have reportedly involved GLP-1 medicines, while the TGA database lists 1480 reports and 39 deaths associated with semaglutide, with no proven causal link. The TGA has updated product warnings about a rare but severe eye condition, while earlier updates addressed potential suicidal thoughts with one medicine and reduced oral contraceptive effectiveness with another. A survey of more than 400 patients and healthcare professionals found one in 10 patients and 52% of healthcare professionals knew of the Black Triangle Scheme, which includes GLP-1 medicines.
via RACGP newsGP
- 04
NHMRC awards $66 million to 22 Australian research centres
The NHMRC has awarded $66 million to 22 new Centres of Research Excellence spanning basic science, clinical medicine, health services and public health research. Each centre will receive $3 million over five years, with teams from 12 administering institutions securing funding. Projects include research into vascular contributions to dementia, early-onset bowel cancer, cancer survivorship, male mental healthcare and injury outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Flinders University, the University of Melbourne, the University of New South Wales and the University of Sydney will each oversee three centres. The funding aims to improve health outcomes and translate research into policy, practice and care.
- 05
WONCA warns of emails impersonating family medicine leaders
Scammers are impersonating WONCA leaders in emails describing urgent travel, illness, airport or other emergencies before seeking assistance, information or money. WONCA said some messages directed recipients to unfamiliar phone or WhatsApp numbers or requested payment through money-transfer services with promises of reimbursement. The organisation advised recipients to check the sender’s actual email address, avoid replying or opening links and attachments, and verify uncertain messages through the WONCA Secretariat using usual contact details. It said suspected messages should be reported as phishing and deleted, while anyone who had interacted with one should contact their organisation’s IT support as soon as possible. This was WONCA’s third phishing warning in as many years, following scams linked to its 2024 and 2025 conferences.
- 06
Patients accuse AHPRA of delays and opaque complaint rulings
More than a dozen patients have accused AHPRA of poor transparency, long delays, inadequate investigations and insensitive communication after notifying it about alleged misconduct, Nine newspapers reported. The complaints involved alleged botched procedures, disability, unnecessary and invasive treatments, sexual harassment and assault, with patients reporting pro forma responses or cases closed without regulatory action. AHPRA said each notification and the available evidence were assessed on their merits, and that improving the patient experience was a priority. An independent review last year found 85% of notifications ended with no further action, while 25% of investigations and 21% of tribunal referrals remained open for more than two years. AHPRA’s National Scheme Strategy 2031 has committed to making patient interactions more timely, transparent and empathetic.
MDDR is a news digest for medical professionals. It is not medical advice and should not be relied on for clinical decision-making.