Thursday, 24 September 2026
Migraine burden estimate doubles, Diagnosis-free Thriving Kids access, Updated age-based PSA testing
- 01
Migraine data more than doubles Australia’s neurological burden estimate
An estimated 4.5 million Australians were living with neurological conditions in 2025, more than double the previous estimate of 2.2 million, according to revised AIHW figures. Migraine accounted for almost 90% of the total, affecting an estimated 3.9 million people, of whom around 2.5 million could be undiagnosed. The revision incorporated people without a migraine diagnosis, whereas earlier prevalence data relied on the 2022 National Health Survey and included only diagnosed cases. Migraine affects more women than men and is most prevalent among people aged 25–55 years. The AIHW said the revised figure was a better estimate but remained an estimate, with further work needed to establish prevalence more accurately.
via RACGP newsGP
- 02
Healthdirect confirmed to deliver diagnosis-free Medicare Thriving Kids service
Healthdirect has been confirmed as the delivery partner for Medicare Thriving Kids through a closed non-competitive grant process, with no diagnosis required for children to access the service or broader supports. The national telephone and digital service will provide families and carers with information, advice and navigation for children from birth to eight years, building on a redesigned Pregnancy, Birth and Baby service. It is intended to help families identify and connect with appropriate services rather than deliver the broader range of Thriving Kids supports itself. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing did not confirm planning dates for a preliminary launch on 1 October 2026 or a dedicated service by July 2027. Service design, workforce requirements, demand forecasts and links with state and territory services remain under development.
- 03
Updated PSA guidelines change age-based testing advice
Australia’s first PSA testing guideline update in a decade recommends offering average-risk men aged 50–69 testing every two years after an informed discussion of benefits and harms. Higher-risk men may undergo biennial testing from age 45, while average-risk men aged 45–49 may have an optional baseline test and testing after 70 is an individual decision. Routine testing is not recommended for average-risk people under 45, and digital rectal examination is not routinely required alongside PSA testing. A Cochrane review involving almost 800,000 participants found screening prevented about two prostate cancer deaths and five metastatic cancers per 1,000 men screened. Potential harms include false-positive and false-negative results, overdiagnosis and treatment-related urinary, bowel and sexual problems.
- 04
PBAC to review GLP-1 restrictions amid RACGP red-tape concerns
The PBAC will review prescribing patterns for PBS-listed GLP-1 medicines for type 2 diabetes at its November meeting, including whether restriction changes introduced on 1 June 2024 have limited use to the recommended population. Those changes required phone or electronic authority approval when initiating treatment, while continuing treatment remained streamlined. The RACGP backed the review but argued that the listing should use streamlined authority arrangements to avoid additional administrative burdens for GPs and patients. It also called for the review to examine shifting costs across diabetes care, including the role of SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1–SGLT2 inhibitor combinations. The college said private prescribing for conditions including overweight, obesity and obstructive sleep apnoea, along with emerging medicines and technologies, could affect utilisation patterns.
via RACGP newsGP
- 05
UK expands multi-pathogen wastewater surveillance to hospitals and transport hubs
UK officials are expanding wastewater and environmental surveillance to detect pathogens considered significant public health threats. The UK Health Security Agency said the new PRISM tool can use sequencing and molecular genomics to detect multiple known and unknown threats from a single sample. Surveillance will extend beyond large wastewater sites to hospitals, transport hubs and other high-footfall locations, contrasting with existing schemes that target specific diseases such as polio. The agency said the technology could potentially identify Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Ebola, Marburg virus disease and Lassa fever if they emerged in the UK.
via BMJ
- 06
Medical bodies seek review of Victorian pharmacy contraception prescribing
Three medical bodies have called on the next Victorian Government to commit to an independent review of pharmacy-prescribed contraception. The RACGP, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and Rural Doctors Association of Victoria said the review must examine patient outcomes, adverse events and broader health system impacts. Victoria’s Chemist Care Now model allows eligible patients to start or restart the oral contraceptive pill without a prescription, and to obtain resupplies of the vaginal ring and depot injection. The groups argued that contraception requires personalised clinical assessment, discussion of options, consideration of individual risks and ongoing review. They expressed concern that pharmacy prescribing models were expanding without robust evidence, transparent monitoring or comprehensive assessment of their long-term effects.
via RACGP newsGP · also covered by The Medical Republic
MDDR is a news digest for medical professionals. It is not medical advice and should not be relied on for clinical decision-making.