Transcript: Dr Steve Hambleton, ABC News Radio
Transcript: Dr Steve Hambleton, with Marius Benson
ABC News Radio, Monday 16 January 2012
Medicare, energy drinks and prescription drugs
COMPERE: Medicare has been slammed by one of Australia's most senior health experts with a warning that misuse is costing up to $3 billion a year. And that warning comes from Dr Tony Webber, the former director of the Professional Services Review Panel, which investigates allegations of abuse by doctors. He says Medicare is dysfunctional and open to rorts by unethical doctors.
Well for a doctor's perspective on that assessment, Marius Benson is speaking to the national President of the AMA, Dr Steve Hambleton.
government's forum on food regulation to have a full review of these policy guidelines.
MARIUS BENSON: Do you want the sales restricted?
STEVE HAMBLETON: Well we certainly do, and certainly to children. Some of these energy drinks have got as much as three strong cups of coffee in 60 mills. You know, not more - much more than a mouthful. They were never intended to be drunk in that way, and certainly not by children. So there should be warnings about children; should be restrictions on selling it to children. We have to look at the advertising; they're clearly targeting young people with their flashy advertising.
Prescription drugs
MARIUS BENSON: Okay, can to - take you to another article in the medical journal? This reports a huge increase in the use of prescription drugs; half of people aged 50 and over in Australia taking five drugs or supplements simultaneously. It sounds worrying. Is that a cause of concern or not?
STEVE HAMBLETON: It is worrying. But we are seeing that - our ageing population and increasing numbers of chronic disease, and people are taking more and more drugs to keep themselves well. I guess the main one people are starting to take are statins to keep their cholesterol down. There are interactions though, and the more medications a person takes the more opportunity there is for medication misadventure.
So every time a doctor prescribes a new drug, we need to go through that list to make sure that it's compatible. It's not just he prescription drugs as well we see, it's actually over the counter medications like arthritis pills like fish oil, and all of these things can have interactions and we need to make very certain that we're actually doing more benefit than harm.
MARIUS BENSON: Dr Steve Hambleton, thank you very much
STEVE HAMBLETON: Thank you very much.
16 January 2012
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