What is known about the topic? Most studies on Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) decisions focused mainly on the cost-effectiveness, while some assessed only the financial impact of medicines. A few PBAC studies analysed the reimbursement decisions for medicines targeting specific disease groups, e.g. oncology, orphan disease, and multiple sclerosis. What does this paper add? This study presents an in-depth retrospective analysis of the PBAC decisions for listing medicines related to diabetes and its complications on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and contributes to the existing evidence-based knowledge of health technology assessment. What are the implications for practitioners? Our findings will enhance the understanding of medical professionals, pharmaceutical companies, and other stakeholders about the rationale of PBAC reimbursement decisions for these medicines and assist prospective applicant sponsor companies in preparing their submissions.

What is known about the topic?. The personal importation scheme has not been studied extensively. This paper investigates whether recent updates to the advertising laws will affect the operation of the personal importation scheme and health practitioners’ ability to refer to it in public. What does this paper add? This paper represents the first ever analysis of the way in which the personal importation scheme interacts with health practitioners’ statements, buyer’s clubs, and the internet. What are the implications for practitioners? The study finds that health practitioners who promote the availability of unapproved medicines through the personal importation scheme outside professional consultations are likely to be liable to enforcement action from the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

What is known about the topic? Many countries, including Australia, currently do not provide universal access to affordable oral healthcare. There are significant oral health inequities that exist in Australia, particularly for priority populations who are at higher risk for oral diseases. What does this paper add? National clinical leadership on oral health is needed to implement evidence-based oral health policy. This commentary provides justification for the Australian Government to appoint a Commonwealth Chief Dental Officer. What are the implications for practitioners? Strengthening advocacy efforts by the public health practitioners and other stakeholders is important to promote oral health as a critical health issue for urgent action.

What is known about the topic? Rigorous HPE can be difficult in rural and remote settings. Policymakers often do not adapt evaluative design to suit complex implementation settings such as those in rural and remote Australia. What does this paper add? This paper characterises HPE experiences of Australian rural and remote health policymakers, indicating the need to tailor HPE to contexts and communities of rural and remote Australia. What are the implications for practitioners? Policymakers should incorporate community co-design into policy for contextually relevant HPE. Government agencies are responsible for developing workforce capacity for better HPE and embedding co-design in practice.

What is known about the topic? Different numbers of new medicines are typically introduced in different jurisdictions. What does this paper add? There is no difference in the Australian introduction of medicines with and without potential significant therapeutic value that were approved in the US between 2015 and 2020. What are the implications for practitioners? New medicines should not be assumed to have or not have potential significant therapeutic value.

What is known about the topic? Real-time prescription monitoring tools have been implemented in most states and territories across Australia to reduce the harms of prescription medication misuse. What does this paper add? This is the first study to explore pharmacists’ and prescribers’ perspectives on tool use in clinical practice, and the impact of these tools on clinical decision-making and clinical interventions. What are the implications for practitioners? Practitioners can optimise tool use in clinical practice to provide patients with best quality health care.

What is known about the topic? Opioid dispensing is known to have increased in Australia over recent decades. However, most existing data hails from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), which has small gaps in quantifying opioids that are not subsidised. What does this paper add? This retrospective study uses an alternative database, adding information about non-PBS dispensing of tapentadol and buprenorphine, accompanied by rates of opioid dispensing in Queensland by age, oral morphine equivalent and geographical area. What are the implications for practitioners? This research highlights recent changes in opioid dispensing and opportunities for further studies to best inform practice improvement.

What is already known on the subject? Patients who present frequently to the emergency department are a heterogenous group making policy difficult to target and implement. What this study adds? The views of emergency clinicians working directly with patients who present frequently to the emergency department have not previously been elicited or used to inform policy in an Australian context. What are the implications for practitioners? These practical insights from clinical practice can be used to inform policy to address the complexities and nuances of patients who present frequently to the emergency department. The aim is to understand current practices and what can be changed to improve outcomes for this cohort of patients.

What is known about the topic? Some common quality assurance indicators may underrepresent the true incidence of critical events or their impact on ICU team workload, given that often only adverse outcomes are captured Our study is significant because it captures all such workload. What does this paper add? By identifying periods of peak internal emergency activity, our study demonstrates the utility of collecting internal ICU emergency data for purposes of roster coordination. What are the implications for practitioners? We propose consistent senior medical presence and minimised non-essential interruptions during the hours of peak activity. Our method is easily reproducible and our findings, although from a single centre, are broadly generalisable, given that we discuss their similarity with other published works.

What is known about the topic? After a cardiac event, people living in rural and remote Australia face many barriers to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) attendance. What does this paper add? This paper demonstrates the need to improve CR service access provision in rural and remote Australia via alternate models of delivery. What are the implications for practitioners? Exploring barriers to and facilitators of the uptake of hybrid models of delivery is recommended to ensure that CR services reach and support all people living in rural and remote Australia after a cardiac event.

What is known about the topic? When assessing real growth in costs, it is important to adjust for inflation through indexation to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The change in prices or costs over time can be calculated in constant currency amounts by adjusting by a ratio of the CPI in the year of interest to the CPI in the baseline year. What does this paper add? Rosenberg et al. (2022) did not calculate out-of-pocket costs in constant currency, which does not give an accurate estimation of costs adjusted for inflation. What are the implications for practitioners? We calculated examples to illustrate the impact of such adjustments, which substantially impact the results of the study.