Aust Fam Physician
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Vaccine hesitancy is becoming increasingly recognised as an issue in Australia and globally, as concerns about vaccines and their safety predominate over concerns about the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases. ⋯ Clear and flexible communication strategies for healthcare providers to undertake effective discussions with vaccine-hesitant parents or clear referral pathways are the key to addressing concerns about vaccination in both primary and secondary care.
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Pregabalin is a treatment option for patients with persistent neuropathic pain. Its use has been associated with changes in mood and the development of depression and/or suicidal ideation. ⋯ Although these patients had a history of depression, their mood had been stable before commencing pregabalin. Soon after commencement they reported changes in mood, and development of depression and/or suicidal ideation, which improved with dose reduction or cessation of pregabalin. Ultimately, all five patients ceased pregabalin treatment. Suicidal ideation is a recognised adverse effect of pregabalin. Patients should be warned of and monitored for deterioration in mood.
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Clinical handover and obtaining best possible medication histories (BPMH) at transition points in care are key patient safety pri-orities. This study aimed to determine the accuracy of medication histories documented on general practitioner (GP) referral letters for patients referred to emergency departments. ⋯ Of the GP letters (total 414), 361 (87%) had one or more discrepancies in the patients' regular medications and 62% had one or more regular medication discrepancies of moderate-high significance. Omission of medication was more prevalent in hand-written letters (P DISCUSSION: GP referral letters should not be used in isolation to determine the medication regimen taken before an emergency department presentation. Interventions are indicated to improve awareness and accuracy of medication documentation.