CORONAVIRUS Resources For General Practice

5 July 2022
COVID-19 Useful links

Resources For General Practice

NPS MedicineWise has launched a hub containing information on recently approved anti-virals and monoclonal antibody medicines that can be used to treat COVID-19. The hub will provide new clinical information, resources and links to help keep health professionals and consumers up to date with the latest approvals, evidence and guidance.

The hub currently features:

FAQs about the use of COVID-19 oral antiviral medicines in residential aged care
A medicine table summarising key information about the two oral antivirals (molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir), and also the intravenous medicine sotrovimab.
An NPS MedicineWise podcast episode titled The new oral antiviral covid medications: What GPs need to know. Guests are Dr Kate Annear and Associate Professor Charlotte Hespe. Dr Kate Annear is a GP and medical adviser at NPS MedicineWise. Associate Professor Charlotte Hespe is a GP, Head of General Practice and GP Research at the University of Notre Dame and the NSW/ACT Faculty Chair for RACGP.
Australian Prescriber drug summaries on remdesivir and sotrovimab. Drug summaries on molnupiravir, nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir, and casirivimab plus imdevimab will be added next week.

Information on New COVID-19 Medications

Molnupiravir (Lagevrio®) and nirmatrelvir and ritonavir (Paxlovid™) have been provisionally registered by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for the treatment of COVID-19. These medicines can be accessed through NSW Health facilities and General Practitioners may send prescriptions to select NSW Health Pharmacy Departments for dispensing (the nominated facilities are listed in the Prescription and Declaration – Oral antiviral medicines for COVID-19 [GPs] form). These facilities will arrange a suitable collection point with the patient/carer. More Information Here

Note: Medication Safety Updates

NSW Health has created a suite of resources to guide the safe and appropriate use of these medicines. They can be accessed on the CEC Medication Safety Updates webpage or as indicated. See: Letter to Stakeholders

Information for General Practitioners

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Oral treatments for COVID-19 (other languages): This language set contains translations of a fact sheet that provides information about the use of oral treatments for people who have tested positive for COVID-19.

Caring for your COVID patients in the home

AT HOME Care of COVID patients – letter from Kerry Chant

Managing COVID-19 at home information hub

GPs caring for COVID-19 positive patients can now obtain medical clearance via the rpavirtual dedicated COVID-19 GP advice and referral support line – 0460 010 127 – which is staffed from 8.00am to 6.00pm daily. They will complete the required documentation on the NSW Patient Flow Portal on GP request. This will trigger the SMS and email messaging and coding directly to the patient. For more information on this process, follow the HealthPathways Sydney COVID-19 Case Management and COVID-19 Virtual Care Requests pathways.

MHR

NOTE: SESLHD ceased faxing discharge summaries and inpatient admission and discharge notifications on 1 November 2020. This information will be available through My Health Record and secure messaging. To receive patient care information successfully, you must be registered for My Health Record and connected to a secure messaging solution. To assist you with this, please contact CESPHN’s Digital Health team via digitalhealth@cesphn.com.au

Mental health for health care professionals: A reminder to professionals that it’s important we all look after our own mental health and wellbeing. There are a number of resources available, including:

The Essential Network, a dedicated mental health and wellbeing program led by the Black Dog Institute. The program is delivering tailored mental health support and resources for healthcare workers and is available in both the Apple Store and the Google Play Store and online at blackdoginstitute.org.au/ten.
DRS4DRS service which provides mental health consultations for doctors and medical students.

A free 24/7 Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service available via phone on 1800 512 348 or at coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au

Useful Links

Primary Health Quarterly: December 2021 – read about fact over fiction when it comes to health care influencers, axing the fax and our multicultural response team
Wondering if there is a vaccine mandate in your health care profession?
Stakeholder pack including translated information with key information about COVID-19 Vaccines.
QR Codes – NSW Chief Health Officer, Kerry Chant, is urging all general practices to Set up QR code check-ins at the entry of their practice.
My Health Record – Contact for Healthcare professionals
The Australian Asthma Handbook has been updated to include new information on managing asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic
Posters for GP surgeries
Centrelink: HPOS and documents for patients’ schools, employers here
Extensive list of mental health support and resources for patients
Disability management duri n g COVID-19
Resources to assist with family violence
RACGP guide to managing patients who present with respiratory symptoms: This covers preparation, screening, triage, billing, teleheath consultion and testing.
RACGP list of ways to keep a GP practice COVIDSafe
COVID-19 Resources from 2020
To update GP and practice details please contact one of the following hospitals and your details will be updated for all SESLHD Hospitals

Calvary Hospital, Clinical Information Service: 9553 3488
Prince of Wales Hospital, Health Information Unit: 9382 9172
Royal Hospital for Women, Health Information Unit: 9382 9172
St George Hospital, Clinical Information Service: 9113 2888
Sutherland Hospital, Clinical Information Service: 9113 2888
Sydney Hospital & Sydney Eye Hospital, Medical Records Department: 9382 7339
War Memorial Hospital Medical Records Department: 9369 0242

Supporting Women

Comirnaty is safe for pregnant women and breastfeeding women. Pregnant women should be routinely offered Comirnaty (Pfizer) COVID-19 vaccine at any stage of pregnancy.Women who are trying to become pregnant do not need to delay vaccination or avoid becoming pregnant after vaccination. Pregnant women have a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Their babies also have a higher risk of being born prematurely. For more information see Joint RANZCOG and ATAGI statement on COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women

Breastscreen NSW ph: 132050

For up-to-date information about the GP Antenatal Share Care programs, please visit the Maternal Health pages.

Australian Breastfeeding Association is a Registered Training Organisation offering nationally-recognised courses for health professionals.

HealthPathways

Both South Eastern Sydney and Sydney HealthPathways sites have a range of COVID-19 assessment, management and referral content. New users will be able to request access on their local HealthPathways home page. To access these pathways, use the following links: