Australian Prescriber Podcast

David Liew speaks with geriatrician and dementia specialist Louise Waite about her article on new and emerging therapies for Alzheimer disease. Louise explains key biomarkers for Alzheimer disease, and the potentially disease-modifying monoclonal antibody therapies that have been approved by the FDA and are now being considered by the TGA in Australia. Read the full article by Louise in Australian...

Justin Coleman talks to Darren Mansfield , Director of the Epworth Sleep Centre , about his article on the d iagnosis and management of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in adults . Darren outlines high-risk populations for OSA and the importance of screening. He also covers treatments, including C PAP therapy, positional and oral appliances, and surgical options. Read the full article by Darren and...

Jo Cheah speaks to Peter Wark about his article on biologic therapies for severe asthma with persistent type 2 inflammation. Peter explains the difference between difficult and severe asthma and how to test for persistent type 2 inflammation. He also runs through the available biologics and when and how they are used. Read the  full article  by Peter and his co-author, Sahan Chandrasekara, in  Aus...

Justin Coleman talks to Garry Jennings, C hief M edical A dvisor of the National Heart Foundation of Australia, about his article on the 2023 Australian Guideline for Assessing and Managing Cardiovascular Disease Risk . Garry discusses the updates to the guideline , including the age from which assessment should occur and new risk factors considered, and he gives some tips for communicating cardio...

David Liew talks to gastroenterologist Varan Perananthan about his article on diagnosis and management of eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE). Varan explains the causes and symptoms of EoE, why the prevalence has been increasing, and how to differentiate EoE from gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. Also discussed are dietary approaches for identifying food triggers and pharmacological treatments for Eo...

Laura Beaton talks to Leonie Callaway, Obstetric and General Physician and Director of Research at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, about her article on the management of pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy. Leonie talks about maternal and fetal complications and the importance of high-quality preconception care, factors that can affect glucose control and the benefits of continuous glucose...

Laura Beaton speaks to Karen Magraith, GP and immediate-past president of the Australasian Menopause Society, about treatments for menopausal symptoms. They discuss the benefits of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and how to choose the most suitable preparation, as well as duration of therapy and nonhormonal treatment options for those with contraindications to MHT. Read the full article by Karen...

Dhineli Perera sits down with Adam Nelson to discuss updates in the management of hypercholesterolaemia. Adam explains how triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol differ in their links to cardiovascular disease. He provides useful tips for checking a lipid profile and highlights other tests that may be helpful when assessing a patient with hypercholesterolaemia. Adam also explains the l...

Jo Cheah chats with clinical pharmacologist Richard Day about off-label prescribing. Ric explains why off-label prescribing occurs, the barriers to getting new indications added to a drug's approved label, and the potential risks of off-label prescribing without sufficient evidence. Read the full article by Richard Day in Australian Prescriber .

Justin Coleman sits down with Lee Fong to discuss the changes to the latest version of Therapeutic Guidelines: Dermatology . Lee talks about misconceptions around the use of topical corticosteroids, tailoring treatments to the subtype of acne, and management tips for scabies, sweating disorders, psoriasis and much more.

Dhineli Perera and Andrew McLachlan, Dean of The University of Sydney's Pharmacy School, talk about the 2022 National Medicines Policy. Andrew gives an overview of the refreshed Policy, what's changed, and how the Policy can be implemented into practice. Read the full article by Andrew and his colleague, Parisa Aslani, in Australian Prescriber .

Dhineli Perera chats with clinical pharmacologist and fellow podcast host David Liew about Australia's top 10 drugs over the last 2 years. David explains the relationship between the PBAC and the PBS and the different ways the top 10 drugs are presented, and offers some insights into why particular drugs are on the lists. Read the full articles for 2021-22 and 2022-23 in Australian Prescriber .

Laura Beaton speaks to psychiatrist David Castle about enhanced physical health monitoring for people with schizophrenia and the unique challenges to implementing preventive health care in these patients. David discusses modifiable physical health risk factors and how these can be addressed as part of a multidisciplinary holistic approach to care. Read the full article by David and his co-author,...

Jo Cheah speaks with Jodie Austin, a clinical informatics specialist, about using new technologies to deliver health care. The conversation focuses on using digital health to improve prescribing and medication management, through the use of digital dashboards and machine learning. Jodie also outlines the role of the clinician in the developing digital world. Read the full article by Jodie Austin a...

Dhineli Perera talks to Geoffrey Sussman, an expert on wound management, about the latest updates in the field. The conversation covers the importance of identifying the cause of a wound and tailoring the treatment accordingly. Geoff also provides useful tips for assessing wounds, the difference between acute and chronic wounds, and best practice for applying wound dressings. Read the full article...

Jo Cheah and endocrinologist Benjamin Sly discuss devices for self-monitoring blood glucose concentrations. The conversation covers both capillary (fingerprick) monitoring and continuous blood glucose monitoring, the types of monitoring devices available to patients and their different features. Ben explains how to select the most appropriate device. Read the full article by Benjamin Sly and his c...

SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists now have well-established cardiovascular and renal benefits. What does this mean for their role in the management of type 2 diabetes? Justin Coleman chats with endocrinologist and clinical pharmacologist, Tilenka Thynne, about this and other updates to Therapeutic Guidelines Diabetes .

David Liew talks to Ketaki Sharma, a staff specialist at the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, about the latest developments in COVID-19 vaccines and what the future of vaccination looks like in Australia—who needs boosters and which vaccine should they have? Read the full article by Ketaki and her co-author, Jean Li-Kim-Moy, in Australian Prescriber . This interview was...

David Liew speaks with infectious diseases physician Ella Meumann. They discuss the latest developments in COVID-19 testing and how the pandemic affected our virus-testing strategies. Read the full article by Ella and her co-author, Jennifer Robson, in Australian Prescriber . This interview was conducted on 28 August 2023.

Laura Beaton talks to Professor Gayle Ross, a Dermatologist at Royal Melbourne Hospital, about treating atopic dermatitis, otherwise known as eczema. If you're itching for more information on the latest treatment options, this conversation will scratch that itch! Read the full article in Australian Prescriber .

Dhineli Perera talks to Dr David Liew, clinical pharmacologist and rheumatologist, and Elizabeth Su, clinical pharmacist. David and Liz share their experiences working in medicines stewardship and outline the objectives and broad strategies used in stewardship programs. Read the full article in Australian Prescriber .

Justin Coleman chats with GP and addiction specialist, Dr Hester Wilson, about Therapeutic Guidelines' first ever Addiction guidelines.

 A spoonful of sugar? Dhineli Perera chats with pharmacist Lucinda Smith about some of the tricks and tips that help make the medicine go down. Read the full article in Australian Prescriber .

Justin Coleman chats with Professor Nick Zwar about the latest changes to the Australian Asthma Handbook. These include updated advice on exercise-induced asthma, dosing information, and use of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation.

Justin Coleman chats to gastroenterologist Chris Rayner about gastrointestinal disorders – from the top to the bottom.