Health services administration

Researchers should maintain immunisation currency to prevent disease transmission to study participants

Michelle L Townsend PhD · Brin FS Grenyer BA(Hons), MSc, PhD · Wilfred Yeo MB ChB, MD, FRACP · Ian Wright FRACP

Putative allergies are common in older patients, but a significant proportion involve non-genuine allergies or low risk responses

Jason A Trubiano BBiomedSci, MB BS, FRACP · Rekha Pai Mangalore MB BS · Yi-Wei Baey MB BS(Hons) · Duy Le BPharm(Hons) · Linda V Graudins BPharm, DHP, PGDipClinEpi · Patrick GP Charles MB BS, PhD, FRACP · Douglas F Johnson MB BS, PhD, FRACP · Ar Kar Aung MB BS, FRACP, MPHTM

Professor Aileen Plant (1948–2007) was a renowned medical epidemiologist and an outstanding global public health leader

Moira McKinnon MB BS, FAFPHM

Coordinated action on several fronts is required

John Turnidge MB BS, FRACP, FRCPA · Chris Baggoley FACEM, BMBS, BVSc · Mark Schipp BSc, BVMS · Robyn Martin BVMS, PhD

In addition to providing earlier access to more drugs, we need reform in how new cancer drugs are priced

Narcyz Ghinea BSc(Hons) · Wendy Lipworth MB BS, MSc, PhD

Australia needs new strategies for better asthma management

Tunn Ren Tay MB BS, MRCP · Michael J Abramson MB BS, PhD, FAFPHM · Mark Hew PhD, MScEBHC, FRACP

Alcohol tax reform would reduce harm and costs — and could fund major prevention and treatment programs

Mike Daube BA(Hons), HonDSci · Julia Stafford BPsych(Hons)

Increasing the minimum purchasing age may be the most straightforward way towards a tobacco-free generation

Roger S Magnusson BA LLB(Hons), PhD, GradDipManagingDevelopment

Stronger policy and a comprehensive approach to prevention is a good investment

A Rob Moodie MB BS, MPH · Penny Tolhurst BA(Hons), MPA · Jane E Martin BA(Hons), MPH

Reporting requirements must be consistent and relevant

Sophie Wallace BHSc(Nursing), GradCertInfectionControl, MPH · Paul S Myles MPH, MD, FANZCA · Nikolajs Zeps BSc, PhD · John R Zalcberg OAM, PhD, FRACP

Ten ways that Primary Health Networks can help to close the gap

Sophia Couzos FAFPHM, FACRRM, FRACGP · Dea Delaney-Thiele PGDipHlthMgt, MPH · Priscilla Page BASc

Lessons learned from the approach of three specialties to identifying their “top-five” low-value clinical practices

Jason Soon BEc(Hons), LLB · Rachelle Buchbinder MB BS(Hons), PhD, FRACP · Jacqui Close MD, FRCP, FRACP · Catherine Hill MD, MSc, FRACP · Simon Allan FRACP, FAChPM, FRCP · Caroline Turnour MIntPH, BA(Hons)

The promise of HPV vaccines is coming to fruition in disease prevention

Julia ML Brotherton MPH(Hons), FAFPHM, PhD · Dorota M Gertig MHSc, ScD, FAFPHM · Cathryn May BAppSc, GradCertHlthInfo · Genevieve Chappell BAppSc(MRA), MBA · Marion Saville MB ChB, FIAC, GradDipMed(ClinEpi)

Faecal calprotectin testing will help reduce the number of unnecessary colonoscopies

Jane M Andrews FRACP, PhD, AGAF

Providing data that will improve understanding of variations in practice and of their effects on patients

Heather Cleland MB BS, FRACS · John E Greenwood MD, DHlthSc, FRACS · Fiona M Wood FRACS · David J Read MB BS, FRACS · Richard Wong She MB ChB, FRACS · Peter Maitz MD, FRACS · Andrew Castley MB BS, FRACS · John G Vandervord MB BS, FRACS · Jeremy Simcock MD, FRACS · Christopher D Adams MB ChB, FRACS · Belinda J Gabbe BPhysio(Hons), MBiostat, PhD

Other approaches to improving chronic disease outcomes in this very unwell population need to be explored

Leonie Segal PhD, MEcon, BEcon(Hons) · Ha Nguyen PhD · Barbara Schmidt MBA, BBus(Health Admin), GradCertRes · Mark Wenitong MB BS · Robyn A McDermott MPH, PhD, FAFPHM

Clinical photographs can enhance patient care, but carry privacy risks for patients and medicolegal risks for doctors

Paul Stevenson LLB · Anna R Finnane PhD · H Peter Soyer MD

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)

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

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

An update on research advances in this field that may help tackle this growing challenge more effectively

Terence WH Chong MB BS, MP, FRANZCP · Samantha M Loi MB BS, FRANZCP, GradCertPOA · Nicola T Lautenschlager MD, FRANZCP · David Ames BA, MD, FRCPsych

Not paying could harm patients, insurers and taxpayers

Christopher Davis MB ChB, MBA, FRACP