Aust Fam Physician
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Prescription drug abuse is a rising problem in Australia and pharmaceutical drugs have been the most frequent contributors to overdose deaths in Victoria in recent years. ⋯ Data from the Coroners Court of Victoria list the main drugs that contributed to drug-related deaths in 2009-15. Analysis of the data reveals that pharmaceutical drugs contributed to 80% of overdose deaths; benzodiazepines and opioids were the main drug groups involved. Strategies for reducing and managing prescription drug abuse in primary care settings are outlined in this article, including references to published evidence-based clinical guidelines from The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). The safety profile of buprenorphine/ naloxone over methadone is noted and raised as a consideration for clinicians when assessing a patient for opioid replacement therapy.
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Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are underused in Australia despite being one of the most effective, reversible methods of contraception. ⋯ Training enabled GPs to insert IUDs in their practices, but more than two-thirds (68%) fitted fewer than 12 devices during follow-up. A number of barriers to IUD insertion in general practice can be addressed to improve community access.
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Australia's teenage birth rate has fallen to historic lows, but teenage motherhood still occurs and can be challenging for mother and baby. ⋯ Teenage mothers may have experienced family, sexual, and partner violence, family disruption, and socioeconomic disadvantage. Outcomes on a range of peripartum measures are worse for teenage mothers and their babies. Longer term risks for the mother include depression and rapid repeat pregnancy; for the child, intergenerational teenage parenthood; and for both, socioeconomic disadvantage. Teenage motherhood occurs more often within communities where poverty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status and rural/remote location intersect. General practitioners play a critical role in identification of at-risk teens, preventing unintended teenage pregnancy, clinical care of pregnant teens, and promoting the health and wellbeing of teenage mothers and their children.