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This article expands on a podcast conversation recorded on October 2021, between NPS MedicineWise medical advisor Dr Caroline West and internationally recognised expert in vaccination uptake Professor Julie Leask. It outlines strategies to help manage conversations with vaccine-hesitant parents and carers in the face of time-limited consultations and continually changing information.

So, you’re fully vaccinated. Find out more about what this means and how much risk you face from the COVID-19 virus and its variants. The information in this article reflects current evidence and may change as more becomes known about current and new vaccines, as well as emerging variants.

Opioid use for the management of acute pain is widely acknowledged as appropriate, however the evidence base supporting use in chronic non-cancer pain is less robust. High-risk prescription opioid use is a recognised problem in primary care and is not only due to patients becoming tolerant, dependent, or aberrant in their use of opioids. Prescribers, dispensers and patients all have a responsibility to maintain safe and appropriate use of prescribed opioids. Here, we talk about recognising and managing high-risk opioid use in primary care.

If you are planning to spend time with others and there are young children about, please remember to keep your medicines out of sight and out of reach.

PPIs are among the most prescribed medicines in Australia. Guideline recommendations for GORD encourage starting daily PPI treatment for 4 to 8 weeks, and reducing or stopping treatment when GORD symptoms are well controlled.

PPI use was recently reported to increase risk of death.  The results were significant and the methodology robust, The relevance to clinical practice is worthy of review.

Vaccination against COVID-19 is now recommended for everyone aged 5 years and over. Find out more about which vaccines can be used in different age groups, and what the data say about how they work when given to children or adolescents.

A panel of experts discussed the challenges faced in the diagnosis and management of IBD, sharing their perspective on optimising diagnosis, treatment initiation and ongoing monitoring.

COVID-19 vaccinations are an important part of the national strategy to protect our health during the current pandemic and into the future. As with other vaccines, some people may experience mild and temporary side effects after a COVID-19 vaccination.