Wednesday, 23 September 2026

Mounjaro home delivery concerns, AI Medicare billing risks, Meningococcal B outbreak genetics

1. 01

   Lilly launches home delivery for non-PBS Mounjaro prescriptions

   Australian patients with e-scripts can now have tirzepatide delivered to their homes through Eli Lilly’s LillyDirect platform rather than using a local pharmacy. Evermed will partner with pharmacies to verify prescriptions, direct them to a licensed third-party pharmacist for dispensing and arrange delivery. Lilly said the service would later expand to other non-PBS medicines and add a click-and-collect option through local pharmacies. RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said the model could lower costs but raised concerns about fragmented dispensing, incomplete visibility of patients’ medicines and the risk of contraindications. Lilly Australia said the platform offered competitive pricing and improved access after rejecting proposed government price conditions for adding Mounjaro to the PBS.

   via RACGP newsGP

2. 02

   Medicare agencies yet to systematically address AI billing risks

   Medicare agencies have not systematically identified, assessed or treated risks from AI-assisted billing, the Australian National Audit Office found. Services Australia raised concerns that providers could use AI to test eligibility for multiple MBS items and suggest billing options, while an internal departmental report identified four commercial tools analysing consultation notes. Officials could not identify which practices or healthcare professionals used the functionality, although the report suggested most inappropriate claiming should be detectable through existing systems. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing also used an AI-enabled compliance model between July 2024 and December 2025 that helped identify eight potential fraud or non-compliance cases worth about $5.2 million. The department agreed with all ANAO recommendations, while the RACGP raised concerns about transparency, engagement and the risk that appropriate billings could be incorrectly flagged.

   via RACGP newsGP

3. 03

   Genetic changes linked to severity of Kent meningococcal B outbreak

   A meningococcal B strain that acquired genetic material from other bacteria caused an unusually severe outbreak in Kent, experts concluded. The March 2026 outbreak affected 21 young people linked to a Canterbury nightclub over one weekend, with two deaths and nine intensive care admissions. Researchers from the UK Health Security Agency and University of Oxford said the changes made the strain unusually effective at causing severe disease but might also explain why it did not spread widely. They warned that similarly invasive strains could emerge suddenly and that such outbreaks were likely to recur, while UKHSA said ongoing genomic surveillance and rapid public health responses were vital.

   via BMJ

4. 04

   South Korea plans mifepristone access by early 2027

   South Korea plans to approve its first abortion pill for use up to nine weeks into pregnancy. Officials said access to mifepristone in combination with misoprostol should begin in the first quarter of 2027. The announcement comes seven years after the Constitutional Court overturned the socially conservative nation’s longstanding abortion ban. Gender equality and family minister Won Min-Kyong said gaps in the system had prevented women from fully exercising their right to safe healthcare access and that introducing abortion medication was expected to enable safer pregnancy termination within the national healthcare system.

   via BMJ

5. 05

   PAHO calls for stronger measles response amid rising cases

   Rising measles cases across the Americas prompted PAHO to issue an epidemiological alert. The organisation called on countries in the region to strengthen vaccination, surveillance and response. The source provided limited detail and did not report case numbers or affected countries.

   via JAMA

6. 06

   2025 blood pressure guideline expanded antihypertensive treatment eligibility

   The 2025 blood pressure guideline expanded eligibility for antihypertensive treatment, prompting estimates of its population-level effects. The source gives limited detail and does not report the estimates, study methods or populations affected.

   via JAMA

MDDR is a news digest for medical professionals. It is not medical advice and should not be relied on for clinical decision-making.