AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, today reactivated the AMA's long-running campaign to change Australia's alcohol tax system to a system that taxes wine and other alcohol products according to their alcohol content, not their price.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, has today written to the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) urging it to revise its guidelines on alcohol consumption by mothers during pregnancy.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that binge drinking is on the rise among young Australians and the health effects of this blatant alcohol abuse can stay with many of them throughout life.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today the AMA is calling on the Federal Government to legislate for health warnings on all alcohol products.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, today urged people to be careful and responsible with alcohol consumption over the holiday period, warning that alcohol abuse causes social disruption and unacceptably high levels of sickness.

AMA Vice President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today that Australia's poor response to people living with mental illness has resulted in very limited access to services and a greater demand on already stretched emergency departments and services for homeless people.

Research results published in the current issue of the Medical Journal of Australia suggest that perhaps we should be celebrating Christmas in September.

Local training programs for doctors, nurses and other health workers are the key to raising health standards in the Pacific islands, Papua New Guinea (PNG) and East Timor, according to an article published in the current issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.

Pets can cause fall-related injuries in older people, according to research results published in the current issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.

Compared with the general population, a higher proportion of the women and older men who advertise themselves on a dating website are smokers, according to some light-hearted research published in the Christmas issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that the AMA looks forward to working closely with the new Director of the Professional Services Review (PSR) Scheme, Dr Tony Webber.

TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW AMA PRESIDENT, DR BILL GLASSON, WITH SALLY LOANE, ABC RADIO 702 SYDNEY THURSDAY 9 DECEMBER 2004 DISCUSSION: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OFFERING REMOTE W.A. ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY PETROL BOWSERS IN RETURN FOR BETTER HYGIENE MEASURESCOMMUNITY

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said the independent medical indemnity review announced by the Government would contribute to the AMA's and the community's joint objectives affordable premiums and stability in the medical indemnity industry.

Speech by AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, to AHIC National Health Information Summit, Melbourne, 7 December 2004

A special Medical Journal of Australia online release reports the clinical record of a man who had been taking prescribed methadone for many years who presented with an unusual peeling rash.

AMA Vice President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today the Government's decision to purchase sufficient influenza vaccine for the next three seasons is good health planning.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that education and prevention are central to stemming the rate of HIV/AIDS infection, especially the increasing rate of infection among young women and girls internationally.

Throwing back a 'cold one' may cause damage to the oesophagus in susceptible people, according to an article published in the current issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.

Australia risks a return to the dangers of the pre-antibiotic era unless greater attention is paid to infection control. A renewed interest in research and development of new antibiotics is also urgently needed, according to an article published in the current issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.

The high protein Atkins diet might lead to weight loss in the short term, but not enough is known to recommend its long-term use, according to an editorial in the current issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.

AMA Vice President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today that GP bulk billing rates have risen by 1.1 percentage points in the September quarter on the back of a targeted funding investment by the Government.

Transcript Of Interview AMA Federal Councillor And Obstetrician, Dr Andrew Pesce, With Mike Carlton, Radio 2UE, 9 November 2004 Discussion: The Number Of Abortions Carried Out In Australia Each Year

In an Australian first, research results published in the current issue of the Medical Journal of Australia show that, contrary to common perception, the ageing of the Australian population is not associated with an increase in the proportion of hospital beds used by older patients.

Breastfed infants of mothers at high risk of vitamin D deficiency should receive vitamin D supplements, according to an article published in the current issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.

Transcript Of Radio Interview AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, With Mike Carlton, Radio 2ue, 27 October 2004 Discussion: Productivity Commission Call For Review Of Health System

Speech to ANHECA Panel on Workforce Solutions, AMA Vice President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, Adelaide, Tuesday 26 October 2004

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, today called for a Senate Inquiry into the pharmacy industry in Australia.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that the AMA is keen to resume its close working relationship with Shadow Health Minister, Julia Gillard.

Transcript Of Interview On Radio 2cc, Canberra Mike Jeffreys With AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, Discussing Moves By Pharmacies To Take On Some GP Roles

SPEECH TO AMAQ NORTH QUEENSLAND MEDICAL CONFERENCE, TOWNSVILLE, SATURDAY 23 OCTOBER 2004, AMA PRESIDENT, DR BILL GLASSON

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, today welcomed news that Tony Abbott would continue as Health Minister in the new Howard Ministry.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, today branded moves by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia to have pharmacists usurp some of the core public health functions of community GPs as mischievous, irresponsible and a poor prescription for Australian patients.

AMA Vice-President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, today welcomed Julie Bishop's re-appointment to the Howard Government as Minister for Ageing.

TRANSCRIPT OF RADIO INTERVIEW ON ABC 702 SYDNEY, AMA PRESIDENT, DR BILL GLASSON, AND SALLY LOANE DISCUSSION: NSW PREMIER, BOB CARR, SAYS THE COMMONWEALTH SHOULD TAKE OVER HEALTH. DR GLASSON RESPONDS.

Patients are the winners when daily checklists and reminders are included in patient medical records, according to the results of a study published in the current issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.

Australia is one of the safest countries in the world in which to give birth and to be born, largely due to the many advances in obstetric and neonatal medicine over the past 50 years, according to an article published in the current issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.

Testosterone prescription for older Australian men has increased since 1991 largely due to promotional activity rather than clinical need, according to research published in the current issue of The Medical Journal of Australia.

Speech - National Launch of Carers Week 2004 Canberra, Monday 18 October 2004 AMA Vice President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal

The latest edition of the AMA List of Medical Services and Fees with calculations applicable from 1 November 2004 to 31 October 2005 is now being made available to all AMA members in private practice or with rights of private practice.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, Releases The AMA's Election 2004 Health Policy Report Card

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today Indigenous Australians have been the big losers in the Federal election funding frenzy with the major parties failing to make the necessary leap of faith to turn around the parlous state of health of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.

AMA President, Dr. Bill Glasson, said today that further examination of Labor's Medicare Gold policy by the AMA confirms that while it promises much it simply cannot deliver on its promises.

Medical interns still suffer from high levels of psychological distress despite recent initiatives to reduce stress, according to research published in the latest edition of The Medical Journal of Australia.

A comprehensive study evaluating 34 commonly used self-help or complementary treatments for anxiety disorders ranging from the herbal and homoeopathic remedies to dancing and exercise provides Australian GPs with an evidence-based guide to which of these treatments are effective for patients with anxiety disorders.

The next generation of Australian doctors will be more inclined to put family and lifestyle issues on the same level as medicine and more will choose to work part-time according to a two-year study of medical students.

AMA Vice President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today that Labor's Medicare Gold policy is a genuine attempt to provide the long-awaited and much-needed links between hospital care, community care and aged care to ensure that older Australians have access to the right type of care in the right environment when they most need it.

Dr Choong-Siew Yong, Psychiatrist and Chair of the AMA's Public Health Committee, said today the Coalition's mental health policy is disappointing in its lack of detail.

Transcript Of Doorstop AMA Vice President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, Surgery, Altona North, VIC Discussion: Labor's Medicare Gold Policy

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson said the Coalition's new general practice after hours policy is a welcome dose of common sense that will deliver additional, flexible services to sick Australians outside business hours.

Dr Choong-Siew Yong, Psychiatrist and Chair of the AMA's Public Health and Ethics Committee, today welcomed Labor's commitment to focus on mental health as a national health priority, but said the promise of an additional $100 million over four years, while welcome, represented only a small proportion of the funds needed to address serious unmet need.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson said the Coalition's new general practice after hours policy is a welcome dose of common sense that will deliver additional, flexible services to sick Australians outside business hours.

Transcript Of Radio Interview Part 2 AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson With Jeremy Cordeaux, Radio 5DN, Friday 24 September 2004 Discussion: Election Health Policy

Transcript Of AMA Vice-President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, With Leon Delaney, 2SM, 23 September 2004 Discussion: Labor's Public Hospitals Plan

Transcript Of Radio Interview AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, With Jeremy Cordeaux, Radio 5DN, Adelaide Friday 24 September 2004 Discussion: Health Issues, Death And Dying, Smoking

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that the AMA is outraged at the gross misrepresentation of doctors in Labor's Medicare television advertisements.

AMA Vice President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today that the AMA is generally disappointed with Labor's Plan for Better Hospitals and Better Care.

AMA Vice-President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today that dementia is set to become one of the greatest health challenges for the Australian community over the next decade.

Research funding for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is inadequate in Australia, resulting in too few good quality studies to support its use, according to an article published in the current issue of The Medical Journal of Australia.

The introduction of fire-safe cigarettes in Australia would save lives, millions of dollars in damage and contribute to bushfire reduction, according to an editorial review published in the current issue of The Medical Journal of Australia.

Reducing access to temazepam capsules may have reduced their injection by some intravenous drug users (IDUs), but more needs to be done, according to a research paper published in the current issue of The Medical Journal of Australia.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that Australia needs an unprecedented level of cooperation and teamwork between the Commonwealth and State and Territory Governments to ensure that more health funding is channelled directly to patient care and not to new and inefficient bureaucracy.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, today called for stronger policies and programs to protect children from abuse, bullying and other intimidating behaviour that affects the mental and physical health of thousands of young Australians every day.

SPEECH TO HARVARD HEALTH AUSTRALIA THE AMERICAN CLUB, SYDNEY THURSDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2004 AMA PRESIDENT, DR BILL GLASSON The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme: Separating Fact from Fiction

Groups representing the medical staffing, resource and service providers for Australia's public hospitals today jointly called on the Federal Government and Opposition to set a course for the long-term sustainability and efficiency of the nation's public hospitals.The Australian Medical Association (AMA), Catholic Health Australia (CHA) the Australian Healthcare Association (AHA), the Australian Salaried Medical Officers' Federation (ASMOF), the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF), the Royal College of Nursing, Australia (RCNA), the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM), and the Australian Society for Geriatric Medicine (ASGM) want to see greater cooperation between the Commonwealth and the States and Territories to deliver better public hospital services to Australian communities and patients.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that Labor's promise to inject another $21 million into anti-smoking awareness campaigns would send a strong message to the community to quit the killer habit. Dr Glasson said a targeted national mass media campaign is long overdue, but must be backed up by coordinated education and legislation.

Speech To Harvard Health Australia The American Club, Sydney Thursday 16 September 2004 AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that the Australian Government must show leadership to the rest of the world by taking a bold and progressive policy stance on climate change one of the biggest environmental and human health challenges facing the human race in the 21st century.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, today welcomed the Australian Democrats' ongoing commitment to 'keep the bastards honest' on the health of Australia's war veterans by pledging to keep the gold standard in the veterans' Gold Card.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that Labor's Indigenous Health Policy is full of good intentions but contains far too little funding to deliver long-term improvements in the health of Indigenous Australians.

World Suicide Prevention Day 2004 EMBARGOED UNTIL 12.01AM, FRIDAY 10 SEPTEMBER 2004 AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, today, on World Suicide Prevention Day, calls for greater community understanding and cooperation to prevent over two thousand people commiting suicide each year in Australia.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that the health of young Australians must be promoted and protected with specific health policies and initiatives. Dr Glasson said the lessons learned about health in teenage years can stay with a person throughout life. "As a community, we have to help our kids with their health education very early in their development," Dr Glasson said. "A good start is to get the Government to scrap legislative amendments that would give parents access to their children's medical records up to the age of 16.

AMA Vice President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today that the Australian Divisions of General Practice (ADGP) has entered into an arrangement with New Zealand GP groups that threatens the quality and integrity of Australian general practice care.

Dr Glasson responds to the latest health policy releases from the Howard Govt and the Labor Opposition in the lead up to the Federal Election. Dr Glasson says the Coalition's model in which extra bulk billing funds will be allocated, is preferable to the Opposition scheme.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, today congratulated the Queensland Government on being the first Australian State to introduce and implement comprehensive smoking bans in all public places. Dr Glasson said the new tobacco laws, which will be rolled out from 1 January next year, are among the toughest in Australia.

Health professionals could be more accepting of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and have some basic knowledge about commonly used CAM preparations, according to research published in the current issue of The Medical Journal of Australia.

Vaccination against the potentially fatal, mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis should be considered for all at-risk travellers, and the definition of 'at-risk' should be expanded, according to an article and two letters published in the current issue of The Medical Journal of Australia.

Further investment in tobacco control interventions could curb the increasing cost of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and contribute to government efforts to ensure the viability of Australia's healthcare financing program, according to results of a study published in the current issue of The Medical Journal of Australia.

Further investment in tobacco control interventions could curb the increasing cost of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and contribute to government efforts to ensure the viability of Australia's healthcare financing program, according to results of a study published in the current issue of The Medical Journal of Australia.

The AMA welcomes the Government's acknowledgement that fees for GPs who treat veterans under the Local Medical Officer (LMO) Scheme are inadequate but says the fee rises announced today will do little to encourage GPs to stay in the scheme and will fail to deliver proper care to veterans.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that Australians would be looking for strong health policies this election that provide vision and structure and funding to allow the health system to serve this and future generations equitably and fairly.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that the Government's decision to extend the Medicare safety net to cover out-of-hospital private obstetrics services would ease the financial burden on pregnant women and their families. Dr Glasson said the introduction of the Medicare safety net earlier this year covered women accessing IVF services but did not extend to gap payments for pregnancy.

AMA Vice President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, today backed moves by the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) to investigate dodgy product description in the tobacco industry. Dr Haikerwal said the tobacco industry has been misleading consumers over so-called 'light', 'mild' and 'low tar' brands for too long.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that the rise in GP bulk billing rates is only a temporary pause in the inevitable decline that has been occurring over many years. Dr Glasson said the rise is purely the result of the Government's $5.00 and $7.50 incentive payments, which will be consumed over the next couple of quarters by increasing medical practice costs and other factors associated with the medical workforce shortage.

The Federal Council of the AMA has approved a set of guidelines to assist doctors to implement the benefits of the Government's Medicare Safety Net in the best interests of their patients. Dr Glasson said the Safety Net is there for patients, not doctors.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that the Government's plan to increase private health insurance rebates from next April for Australians over 65 will reward older Australians who have maintained their insurance throughout their lives and those planning to take out private health insurance. Dr Glasson said the AMA welcomes this initiative because it gives people over 65 with private health insurance greater access, affordability and choice for their complex health needs.

AMA Federal Councillor and senior oncologist, Dr Allen Zimet, today called on Australian men to get more active about looking after their own health, especially early detection and treatment of preventable cancers. The AMA supports the Cancer Council's National Daffodil Day and its efforts to raise cancer awareness in the community. Dr Zimet said Australian men continue to have this unreal belief that they will not get sick and they do not have to go to the doctor.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that the Government should increase the Medicare rebate for all patients instead of providing incentives for some patients to be bulk billed. Dr Glasson said the AMA welcomes the fact that an extra $24 million is being put into the health system but remains totally opposed to geographically-based incentives that depend on a patient being bulk billed.

Discussion: Dr Haikerwal comments on the position of the AMA regarding the Free Trade Agreement between Australia and the United States of America.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, today released the AMA's third report on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, 'Healing Hands Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Workforce Requirements'. Based on an Access Economics report commissioned by the AMA, the report calls for increased targeted funding, more Indigenous health workers and more non Indigenous health workers committed to working with Indigenous people.

AMA Vice-President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today the Government's decision to accept the Labor amendments to the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA) provides stronger bipartisan safeguards for Australia's internationally-admired Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Dr Haikerwal reiterated the AMA's position that the PBS should never have been part of the AUSFTA, but any moves to strengthen protection for the PBS and to monitor developments are very welcome.

The quality of life for older Australians may be improved by receiving regular home-based health assessments, according to research published in the latest issue of The Medical Journal of Australia.

Many Australian laws relating to abortion are unclear and outdated, placing medical practitioners at risk of prosecution, according to an article published in the current issue of the Medical Journal of Australia. The authors, Dr Lachlan de Crespigny, Honorary Fellow at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne, and Dr Julian Savulescu, Visiting Professor at the Institute, say that many of Australia's abortion laws, which differ from state to state, are based on an 1861 English law that has since been repealed in the United Kingdom.

Lupin, a legume related to pea, peanut and soy, can cause allergic reactions and anaphylaxis in some people, according to an article in the current issue of the Medical Journal of Australia. The authors, Drs William Smith, David Gillis and Frank Kette of the Clinical Immunology and Allergy Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, document three recent Australian cases of allergic reaction to lupin, and recommend that it be included on mandatory food allergy warning lists.

Discussion: Bongiorno says that the AMA have been concerned about the possible effects of the FTA on the PBS. Haikerwal says that the PBS should never have been included on the FTA in the first place. He says Australia's system is so good that many other countries plan to take it up, and big drug companies are displeased about this. Even some US Senators said the PBS should not have been an aspect of the FTA, as health is not a trade issue.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, will launch the AMA's report on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical workforce needs on Thursday 12 August at the Redfern Community Centre in Sydney.

AMA Vice President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, today welcomed the decision of the Federal ALP caucus to support for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US subject to legislative amendments to safeguard the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Dr Haikerwal said the right of generic pharmaceuticals to be marketed as soon as the originator patent expires must be guaranteed.

Dr Haikerwal discusses the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson today questioned the wisdom of the Federal Government's decision to support Notre Dame University's new medical school in inner Sydney, saying more city medical places will do very little to get doctors into areas of need, especially the bush. Dr Glasson said that to address rural workforce shortages, governments must improve the medical infrastructure and training facilities in rural Australia.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, today urged Commonwealth and State Health Ministers to put patient care ahead of funding fights in future Commonwealth/State health negotiations. Addressing the Australian Health Ministers' Conference (AHMC) in Hobart, Dr Glasson said the key to better health service delivery for all Australians is to make sure that patients get the right care in the right environment at the right time.

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, today released the AMA's Position Statement on Overseas Trained Doctors (OTDs), which outlines a plan of support for this significant proportion of the Australian medical workforce. Dr Glasson said OTDs make up over 20 per cent of the medical workforce. The number is higher in rural areas, with up to 30 per cent having trained overseas.