In this Issue November 2002

National Asthma Council Journalism Awards 2002

Asthma Presentation / Poster Awards 2002

Products for PBS Listing Early 2003

GPCE Melbourne - November 2002

National Asthma Council
Journalism Awards 2002

The National Asthma Council Journalism Awards were announced on the evening of Thursday November 14 by the Chairman of the National Asthma Council, Dr Ron Tomlins.

The NAC Awards aim to promote and encourage responsible reporting of issues related to asthma treatment, management and education across the media.

Winners of the NAC Journalism Awards 2002

Category	Winner
Over All Winner	Ms Rada Rouse, Medical Observer
Medical and Pharmacy Media	Ms Rada Rouse, Medical Observer
Television (consumer directed)	Ms Sarah Martinelli, ABC TV, Adelaide
Print (consumer directed)	Ms Cathy O'Leary, "The West Australian" Newspaper
Radio (consumer directed)	Ms Carole Whitelock and Ms Caroline Horn, ABC Radio
Internet (consumer directed)	Dr Gordon Lynch, Fitness 2 Live

In the Keynote Address at the NAC Awards evening, Mr Peter Ryan, Principal of Porter Novelli, highlighted that the accurate reporting of issues associated with asthma is important in the areas of public education and community awareness. Good journalism in asthma and other areas, according to Mr Ryan, requires a determination to lay bare the facts and ask the hard questions and that this approach should be part of the media culture - not just something editors encourage when budgets and resources allow.

Judging for the NAC Awards was completed by a panel of asthma specialists, GPs, pharmacists, Asthma Australia, the National Asthma Council and media representatives.

Key attributes for the winning stories were:

accurate and balanced reporting of asthma issues;
demystifying the complexities of asthma including treatment, medications and devices;
portrayal of a realistic picture of what it is like to live with asthma; and
encouraging health professionals to continually update their knowledge and practice of asthma management.

Congratulations to Rada Rouse, the Over All Categories winner and all our category winners. Keep an eye out for the announcement of the NAC Journalism Awards for 2003.

Asthma Presentation/Poster Awards 2002

Throughout the year the National Asthma Council awards a prize for the best asthma presentation/poster at each of its Member bodies conferences.

For 2002 the following prizes have been awarded:

Asthma Australia Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy - ASM 2002

"10 - Mechanisms for Skewing Atopic Donor Allergen - Specific T Cell Cytokine Production From 11-4 To Ifn-Gamma Predominant"

Jennifer M. Rolland, presenter.
Jennifer M. Rolland, Leanne M. Gardner, Monash University and Robyn E. O'Hehir, Alfred Hospital.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners - ASM 2002

"A major increase in the doses of inhaled steroids used in New Zealand accompanying the introduction of fluticasone - largely to do with inhaler sizes?"

Prof. Les Toop, Head of Department and past chair of the National Preferred Medicines Centre, University of Otago.

Australian Asthma Conference 2002

"Something in the Air: Air quality monitoring in Tasmania and the national air quality education program"

Maria Clippingdale.

The NAC congratulates all recipients on their successful efforts.

Cochrane Access for all Australians

All Australians now have free access to the online library of the Cochrane Collaboration.

The Cochrane Collaboration is a highly respected international collaboration of health professionals, consumers and researchers who prepare reports on the evidence about health care interventions. The reports are available through the Cochrane Library, which was only accessible in Australia by paid subscription.

Following the negotiation of a national subscription by the Federal Government, access to the Cochrane Library is now in reach from any computer with a registered computer "IP address" within Australia. So, from the comfort of your own computer you can now use this important resource of health care research evidence.

The Cochrane Library is a unique source of reliable and up-to-date information on the effects of interventions in health care. Health care in the 21st century relies not only on individual medical skills, but also on the best information on the effectiveness of each intervention being accessible to practitioners, patients and policy makers. This is the cornerstone of "evidence-based medicine".

The Cochrane Library is designed to provide information and evidence to support decisions taken in health care and to inform those receiving care. It is actually a collection of seven separate databases.

Five of the data bases provide coverage of evidence-based medicine, and the other two provide information on research methodology. Full details of the Cochrane Collaboration and its component bodies, can also be found within the Cochrane Library.

Searching the Cochrane Library is made a little easier with the step-by-step guide provided on the web site. Access to the Cochrane Library may be gained from the National Asthma Council's web site Advanced Search page.

The Legacy of Archie Cochrane

Thirty years ago, Archie Cochrane wrote a book entitled 'Effectiveness and Efficiency: Random Reflections on Health Services'. As an ordinary doctor, Archie believed he lacked "some of the qualifications required to write a book of this kind" but his unique insight gave rise to an extraordinary project that now bears his name.

In highlighting the value of randomised controlled clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments used in medical practice, Dr Cochrane observed that:

Healthcare practice is not always based on good evidence
There is too much information for any individual to access and use
Resources are always limited, so it is all the more important to know which interventions work.

The best decisions, in Dr Cochrane's view, were based on unbiased synthesis of reliable and relevant research.

The Cochrane Collaboration, founded on his work, is an international network of individuals and institutions committed to preparing, maintaining, and disseminating systematic reviews of the effects of health care.

Cochrane Reviews are developed using a strict protocol and with well-described methods. Cochrane systematic reviews are particularly useful as they are kept up-to-date as new studies of good quality are published. This means that as new research is added to what is known on the topic, new findings are rapidly disseminated. A much more manageable prospect than the estimated 17 journal articles a day that a physician would need to read in order to keep abreast of all research relevant to a particular area of clinical practice.

In pursuing its aims, the Cochrane Collaboration is guided by ten principles:

collaboration
building on the enthusiasm of individuals
avoiding duplication
minimising bias
keeping up to date
striving for relevance
promoting access
ensuring quality
continuity
enabling wide participation.

The Cochrane Collaboration has already achieved a great deal. An evidenced-based approach is fundamental to the Asthma Management Handbook 2002 and of particular interest to the asthma area is the Cochrane's Airways Group.

Australia is well represented among a strong international membership, with reviewers also from Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, India, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, Uruguay and USA.

The establishment of the Cochrane Collaboration in 1992 and its continued growth is true testament to a man of vision. Archie Cochrane's legacy lives on.

Products for PBS Listing Early 2003

Two new drugs, Singulair and Spiriva, for the treatment of asthma and respiratory disease will be listed in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme early 2003.

The asthma treatment, montelukast (trade name Singulair) has been available in Australia for several years and belongs to the class of drugs known as leukotriene receptor antagonists. The oral medication, in tablet form, treats asthma via a completely different pathway to other currently available medications.

Notification of listing followed a positive recommendation made by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee in December 2001 as follows:

Montelukast sodium tablets 4 mg and 5 mg, Singulair

New listing: Asthma treatment

Authority required listing for first line preventer medication for children, 2-5 years (4 mg) and 6-14 years (5 mg) when used other than in conjunction with cromolyns or inhaled corticosteroids.

Recommended on a cost-minimisation basis vs sodium cromoglycate, with advice to the Pricing Authority that a price-volume arrangement be negotiated, with volumes to be based on the sponsor's submission to the PBAC.

The treatment for respiratory disease, tiotropium (trade name Spiriva) was approved for use in Australia in February this year for the long-term maintenance treatment of bronchospasm and dyspnoea associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Notification of listing followed a positive recommendation made by the PBAC in March 2002 as follows:

Tiotropium capsules for inhalation 18 µg, Spiriva

New listing: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Restricted benefit listing for treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Recommended for listing as a restricted benefit for the long-term maintenance treatment of bronchospasm and dyspnoea associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, on the basis of acceptable cost-effectiveness.

The combination treatment budesonide with eformoterol (Symbicort)also received a positive recommendation from by the PBAC in March 2002 as follows.

Notification of listing followed a positive recommendation made by the PBAC in March 2002 as follows:

Budesonide 200 µg with eformoterol fumarate dihydrate 6 µg per dose, 120 doses, Symbicort

New listing: Asthma

Restricted benefit listing for patients who previously had frequent episodes of asthma while receiving treatment with oral corticosteroids or optimal doses of inhaled corticosteroids and who are stabilised on concomitant inhaled eformoterol fumarate dihydrate and budesonide.

Recommended for listing with the requested restriction, on a cost-minimisation basis.

Useful Resources

Medications Used to Treat Asthma (Asthma Management Handbook 2002)

GPCE Melbourne - November 2002

The National Asthma Council ran a series of 10 workshops over three days at the inaugural Melbourne General Practitioner Conference & Exhibition on 15,16 and 17 November with outstanding success. The workshops covered the 3+ Visit Plan and Lung Function Testing with general practitioner presenters from the NAC's GP Asthma Group (GPAG):

Dr Amanda Barnard,
Dr Chris Hogan,
Dr Chris Luttrell, and
Dr Kerry Hancock.

Each workshop was very well attended, including the early morning starts. Attendees appreciated the practical approach offered by the GP presenters who provided examples and explanations from their own clinical experience.

The 3+ Visit Plan work shop series was sponsored by AstraZeneca and Lung Function Testing was supported by Micro Medical with spirometers.

Created November 25, 2002