Volume 204 Issue 4

There is no cause to feel impotent, despite disturbing media reports about methamphetamine

Margaret Hamilton BA, DipSocStuds, MSW · Adrian J Dunlop MB BS, PhD, FAChAM

We need more resources that are better spent

Alison Ritter PhD, MA(ClinPsych), BA(Hons) · Mark Stoove PhD, GradDip(Ed), BAppSc(Hons)

Careful assessment and universal precautions are necessary

Adrian J Dunlop PhD, GradDipEpiBiostat, FAChAM · Louise K Newman BA(Hons), MB BS(Hons), FRANZCP

How can we respond more effectively?

Ian W Webster AO, MD, FRACP

Updated advice to be given by Triple Zero call-takers is being developed

Amy Kirwan BA(Hons), MSocSci, MSW · Michael Curtis BA, BSW(Hons) · Ingrid A van Beek MBA, FAFPHM, FAChAM · Kate Cantwell MEpi, PhD · Paul M Dietze PhD

Drug checking may need to play a part in future public health interventions

Robin J Butterfield MB BS, MRCA · Monica J Barratt BSc(Psych)(Hons), PhD · Nadine Ezard MB BS, PhD, FAChAM · Richard O Day MB BS (Hons), MD, FRACP

The TGA has changed naloxone scheduling to make it available over the counter

Simon R Lenton PhD, MPsych(Clin), BPsych · Paul M Dietze PhD · Marianne Jauncey BMed, MPH(Hons), FAFPHM

To be effective, a [monitoring program] must collect… prescription data, and flag potential misuse and diversion

Rowan P Ogeil PhD, BA, BSc(Hons) · Cherie Heilbronn MB BS, MPH · Belinda Lloyd PhD, BA(Hons) · Dan I Lubman PhD, FRANZCP, FAChAM

Methamphetamine use among this adolescent population has increased substantially

Sally Nathan PhD, MPH, BSc(Psych)(Hons) · Anna Bethmont BA(Psych)(Hons), MPH · Patrick R Rawstorne BA(Hons), PhD · Mark Ferry BA(Psych) · Andrew Hayen PhD

Wastewater analysis shows significant increases in methamphetamine use

Foon Yin Lai PhD · Jake O'Brien BSc(Hons) · Phong K Thai PhD · Wayne D Hall PhD, BSc · Jochen Mueller PhD

The need for health services for people with problems related to methamphetamine use is increasing

Louisa Degenhardt PhD, MPsych(Clin) · Sarah Larney PhD · Gary Chan PhD, MSc · Timothy Dobbins PhD · Megan Weier BPsycSci(Hon) · Amanda Roxburgh BA(Psych)(Hons), MCrim, MPsychol(Clin) · Wayne D Hall PhD, BSc · Rebecca McKetin PhD

There was a dramatic increase in intentional exposures to ADHD medications between 2004 and 2014

Rose Cairns PhD, BPharm(Hons) · Benjamin Daniels MA, BSc · Danielle A Wood MB BS, FACEM · Jonathan Brett MB BS(Hons), FRACP, FAChAM

Verbal and physical aggression affects the care of other patients, as well as staff wellbeing

Diana Egerton-Warburton MB BS, FACEM, MPH · Andrew Gosbell PhD · Angela Wadsworth BA(Hons) · Katie Moore BSocSc(Hons), BSc(Hons) · Drew B Richardson BMedSc, MB BS(Hons), FACEM · Daniel M Fatovich MB BS, FACEM, PhD

NSW Aboriginal people with colorectal cancer had lower 5-year survival rates than non-Aboriginal people

Kristie Weir BSc · Rajah Supramaniam BSc, MPH(Hons) · Alison Gibberd MStat · Anthony Dillon PhD · Bruce K Armstrong DPhil, FRACP, FAFPHM · Dianne L O'Connell BMaths(Hons), PhD

This rare but potentially fatal condition is a diagnostic conundrum, often presenting as systemic toxicity and widespread myalgia without focal features

Henrique Nicola MD · David JR Morgan MB BS, FACEM, FCICM

Prescribers should be aware of the importance of HLA-B*5801 testing before initiating allopurinol in Han Chinese people

Augustine N Mugwagwa MB ChB · Roy Fischer MB ChB, FCICM, PGDipCU · Izwan Zailan

The art of appreciating each patient’s uniqueness

Daniel R Schweitzer MB BS, FRACP, PhD

This wasn’t “end of life”; this was his life.

Kimberley D Ivory MB BS(Hons), MPH, DRANZCOG

Neurotribes: the legacy of autism and how to think smarter about people who think differently

Louise K Newman BA(Hons), MB BS(Hons), FRANZCP

I think I saw my sister …

Danny Hutley

Three junior doctors at the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse have taken their careers in a new direction, and might just help a lot of cancer patients in the process

Cate Swannell

James Cook University has released a statement strongly rejecting suggestions by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) that senior management has been paid, or will be paid, bonuses to make staff redundant, including in the Division of Tropical Health and Medicine. “The NTEU has questioned whether senior managers are seeking to sack staff to receive a performance bonus. This suggestion is utterly false and highly offensive,” the statement read. “The false accusation is included in newspaper reports [recently] detailing financial statements from JCU’s 2014 annual report. JCU’s annual reports are public documents that are tabled in the Queensland Parliament and posted on the University’s website every year. The most recently released report (2014 annual report) provides financial statements for the previous year (2013). Bonuses paid in 2014 are based on University performance in 2013 and are totally unrelated to the current change proposals. It is also worth noting that total executive remuneration reported in the 2014 annual report actually fell by nearly $200 000 compared to the 2013 annual report.” https://www.jcu.edu.au/news/releases/2016/february/jcu-statement Griffith University’s Institute for Glycomics, in partnership with Germany’s Bremen University, has received $50 000 in funding to begin testing a newly developed chemotherapy drug to treat non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Scientists at the Institute for Glycomics, led by Dr Thomas Haselhorst and Bremen University’s Professor Sørge Kelm, have developed the new drug over the past 3 years and now they are at the point of testing on live blood samples and animal models. The joint grant from the German Academic Exchange Service in collaboration with Universities Australia will fund the exchange of academics, including early career researchers and junior scholars from both countries, on this joint research project. Over the next 2 years, four researchers from Institute for Glycomics and six from Bremen University will visit on exchange to conduct experiments and share technology and skill sets. https://app.secure.griffith.edu.au/news/2016/02/08/funding-for-gold-coast-and-germany-research-exchange/ An international fertility expert hunting for the building blocks to “good eggs” is bringing his research to a new laboratory at the University of Queensland. Professor Hayden Homer will lead the new UQ Oocyte Biology Laboratory at the Centre for Clinical Research, where he will drive research that could help women in their late thirties have children. Professor Homer has been recognised internationally for his expertise in reproduction and fertility research. Professor Homer is a clinician scientist, meaning he undertakes research alongside practice as a fertility specialist. He holds the Christopher Chen Chair in Reproductive Biology and was previously co-director of the University of New South Wales Oocyte Biology Research Unit. Before moving to Australia in 2014, he was a senior lecturer and consultant sub-specialist in reproductive medicine at University College London, where he was clinical lead for IVF and recurrent miscarriage as well as academic lead for mammalian oocyte research within UCL’s Institute for Women’s Health. http://health.uq.edu.au/article/2016/02/fertility-lab-leader-seeks-key-good-eggs The new director of the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI) at Monash University has been announced as Professor Peter Currie. Professor Currie previously held the role of deputy director and he replaces founding director, Professor Nadia Rosenthal, who has moved to The Jackson Laboratory in Maine, USA, as scientific director. Prior to joining ARMI in 2008, Professor Currie was head of the Developmental Biology Program at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney and prior to that was a group leader at the MRC Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh, the United Kingdom. Last year Professor Currie, together with PhD student Phong Nguyen from the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, and Dr Georgina Hollway from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research won the prestigious Eureka Prize for scientific research. http://www.med.monash.edu.au/news/2016/peter-currie-new-armi-director.html A senior figure in the public health sector in Australia, Professor Glenn Salkeld, has started his new role as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Wollongong. Professor Salkeld has more than 25 years of experience in public health research and education. Most recently, he held the position of Professor of Public Health and Head of the Sydney School of Public Health at the University of Sydney. Professor Salkeld’s research has been in the areas of health decision analysis, citizen preferences and translational health. He has been a member of the Economic Subcommittee of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, a consultant to the World Health Organization on the Essential Medicines Program, a member of the NHMRC Public Health Panel, a member of the Bowel Cancer Implementation Committee and a director of the Board of the Sax Institute. http://media.uow.edu.au/news/UOW209254.html Two early career researchers in the Flinders University School of Medicine have won Best Research Higher Degree Student Publication awards for 2015. Georgia Kaidonis won for her paper Common sequence variation in the VEGFC gene is associated with diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema, which was published in Ophthalmology (2015 Sep; 122(9):1828-36). Karen Patterson’s winning paper — Interpretation of an extended autoantibody profile in a well-characterised Australian systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) cohort using principle components analysis — was published in Arthritis and Rheumatology (2015 5 Aug. doi:10.1002/art.39316). http://blogs.flinders.edu.au/flinders-news/category/faculty-of-health-sciences/school-of-medicine/ University of Queensland scientist Dr Matt Fogarty will begin a 2-year research project focusing on breathing at the prestigious Minnesota Mayo Clinic in April. The project will investigate the role of motor neurons in respiration and builds on Dr Fogarty’s research at the School of Biomedical Sciences into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Dr Fogarty’s 2-year project is funded by a CJ Martin Overseas Biomedical Early Career Fellowship awarded by the National Health Medical Research Council. Under the 4-year Fellowship conditions, the overseas research component will be followed by a 2-year research project at UQ’s School of Biomedical Sciences. http://health.uq.edu.au/article/2016/02/uq-scientist-lead-research-project-distinguished-research-institute

Cate Swannell

This calendar will be updated each month. If you have an event you would like to add, please include relevant details in an email to cswannell@mja.com.au March 8-10 18th Annual Meeting on Clinical Trials in Intensive Care, Noosa, QLD 10 Leadership in Aged Care Workshop 2016, Sydney, NSW 11 5th International Medical Symposium: Future challenges for the Medical Profession, Sydney, NSW 11-12 Urogynaecological Society of Australasia Annual Scientific and General Meeting, Auckland, NZ 11-13 2016 Australian and News Zealand Society of Neuroradiology Annual Meeting, Hunter Valley, NSW 11-14 Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders Autumn Workshop Series, Canberra, ACT 13-16 Australian Pain Society 36th Annual Scientific Meeting: Pain: Meeting the Challenge, Perth, WA 14-17 Trans Tasman Radiation Oncology Group 28th ASM, Brisbane, QLD 15-18 Workshop on Surgical Techniques in the Laboratory Mouse, Moss Vale, NSW 18-19 2016 Symposium: Silent Contributors Injury/Illness/Performance, Bruce, ACT 19 Dermatopathology Summer Symposium, Auckland, NZ 19-23 17th Ottawa and ANZAHPE 2016 Conference, Perth, WA 20-21 Emanuel Kanal’s MRI Safety Course, Melbourne, VIC 21-23 23rd World Congress on Controversies in Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Infertility, Melbourne, VIC 25 Mar-8 Apr Autism, ADHD and Developmental Disabilities New Zealand Cruise, Sydney, NSW 29 Mar-1 Apr Asia Pacific Orthopaedic Association Congress 2016, Melbourne, VIC 30 Mar-1 Apr New Zealand Regional ANZICS Meeting, Rotorua, NZ 31 Mar-1 Apr Social Research Conference on HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Related Diseases: Margins and Belonging, Sydney NSW April 1-2 Refresher/Advanced 2-Day ECT Course, Sydney, NSW 1-3 Future of General Practice 2016 Practice, Brisbane, QLD 1-6 Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand ASM 2016, Perth, WA 3-6 NETNEP 2016, Brisbane, QLD 8 Australian and New Zealand College of Paramedicine Trauma on the Border, Tweed Heads, NSW 12-14 World Indigenous Cancer Conference 2016, Brisbane, QLD 13-16 General Assembly and International Conference on Asian Pacific Organisation of Cancer Prevention, Brisbane, QLD 16-19 69th Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand Annual Scientific Meeting, Gold Coast, QLD 20-23 Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases Annual Scientific Meeting, Launceston, TAS 22-26 Australia and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting, Rotorua, NZ 23-24 12th Annual Medivision Symposium, Hobart, TAS 28-29 Australian Telehealth Conference 2016, Sydney, NSW 29-30 Primary Mental Health Care Conference, Canberra, ACT 29-30 1st Australian Vascular Access Society’s ASM, Brisbane, QLD 30 Apr-4 May ANZCA 2016 Annual Scientific Meeting: Closer to the Edge, Auckland, NZ 30 Apr-4 May 57th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian Rheumatology Association, Darwin, NT May 2-3 12th International Conference on Rapid Response Systems and Medical Emergency Teams, Melbourne, VIC 2-6 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Annual Scientific Congress 2016, Brisbane, QLD 5 Catholic Health Medical Research Symposium, Melbourne, VIC 5-7 Viruses in May 2016, Katoomba, NSW 8-12 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists International Congress: Regional Challenges, Worldwide Influence, Hong Kong 11-12 Sydney ARCS Scientific Congress, Sydney, NSW 13 3rd Annual Occupational Dermatology Research and Education Centre Patch Test Training Day, Perth, WA 14-17 49th Australasian College of Dermatologists ASM, Perth, WA 16-18 Royal Australasian College of Physicians Annual Congress, Adelaide, SA 19-20 ACEM Queensland Autumn Symposium, Brisbane, QLD 19-20 NPS 2016 – National Medicines Symposium 2016: Making Wise Decisions about Medicines, Tests and Technologies, Canberra, ACT 20-22 General Practice Conference and Exhibition, Sydney, NSW 22-25 Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand 20th Annual Congress, Townsville, QLD 24-27 Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists Annual Scientific Meeting, Perth, WA 25-27 International Clinical Cardiovascular Genetics Conference 2016, Brisbane, QLD 26-28 2016 Asia Pacific Lymphology Conference, Darwin, NT June 1-3 Australian and New Zealand Society of Geriatric Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting 2016, Cairns, QLD 3-5 College of Intensive Care Medicine 2016 Annual Scientific Meeting: Minds and Machines, Adelaide, SA 3-5 40th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australasian Division of the International Academy of Pathology, Brisbane, QLD 4-5 EMCORE Melbourne 2016, Melbourne, VIC 7-9 15th Annual Immunisation Conference, Brisbane, QLD 9-10 2016 SIREN Symposium: Innovation in Practice, Bentley, WA 17-18 Emergency South Australia FSM, Adelaide, SA 19-22 23rd National Conference of the Australian Health Promotion Association, Scarborough, WA 20-22 Renal Society of Australasia 2016 Annual Conference, Gold Coast, QLD 22-25 8th World Congress of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies 2016, Melbourne, VIC 23-25 Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer Annual Meeting on Supportive Care in Cancer, Adelaide, SA 23-25 CSANZ New Zealand Annual Scientific Meeting, Rotorua, NZ July 1-2 Emergency South Australia, Adelaide, SA 10-12 Australian and New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate Cancer Trials Group ASM, Brisbane, QLD 21-23 International Conference on Pediatric Dermatology, Brisbane, QLD 23-24 General Practice Conference and Exhibition, Perth, WA 25-27 Health Informatics Conference, Melbourne, VIC 25-27 7th World Congress on Molecular Pathology, Melbourne, VIC August 2-4 10th Annual Australia and New Zealand Endovascular Therapies Meeting, Adelaide, SA 4-7 64th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand, Adelaide, SA 6-9 HGSA 40th Annual Scientific Meeting: Integrating Genomics into Healthcare, Hobart, TAS 12-14 Emergency Tasmania 2016, Launceston, TAS 12-15 CME – Stoller: A Comprehensive Tutorial in Musculoskeletal Imaging, Melbourne, VIC 18-20 Australian Lung Cancer Conference, Melbourne, VIC 19-20 Australian and New Zealand College of Paramedicine Conference 2016, Melbourne, VIC 21-26 International Congress of Immunology, Melbourne, VIC 25-27 Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders 14th Annual Conference, Christchurch, NZ 26-27 2016 Australian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society ASM, Gold Coast, QLD 26-28 Section of Electroconvulsive Therapy and Neurostimulation Conference: Neurostimulation in the Vines, Hunter Valley, NSW 26-28 2016 ACD/ASDR/JDA/JSID/NZDSi Combined Meeting, Noosa, QLD 26-28 General Practice Conference and Exhibition, Brisbane, QLD

Cate Swannell