Media - ��ݮ��Ƶ

AMS applauds 2025 Commonwealth Budget announcements

2025-03-27T00:00:00+11:00

27 March 2025:

The ��ݮ��Ƶ (AMS) has welcomed the further health initiatives for midlife women as outlined in the 2025/2026 federal budget. Alongside the March 1, 2025, additions to the PBS, the Federal Government announced:

$26.3 million for a new Medicare rebate for menopause health assessments
$4.4 million investment over three years to develop national clinical guidelines and deliver professional development courses for health professionals
$12.8 million for an awareness campaign relating to perimenopause and menopause

AMS Board President, Dr Sylvia Rosevear hopes that the Medicare rebate for health assessments will contribute to improving access for care for Australian midlife women, pending more details.

Dr Rosevear said, ‘Because of the complexity of menopause consultations, including individualising investigations and management, they take time. Now women have the opportunity to have quality attention from their healthcare professionals.’

‘The AMS commends funding to comprehensively train health professionals which should ensure that perimenopausal and menopausal patients receive a consistent approach from their medical advisors and are treated with the best evidence–based care.

The creation of a national awareness campaign is a positive for all women and their families. A campaign will demystify menopause, and the health issues associated with both perimenopause and menopause.’

Dr Rosevear concludes, ‘The AMS looks forward to working alongside the Commonwealth Government on many of these measures, to increase health provider and patient awareness on the menopause pending further information. This investment into women’s health is truly pleasing in caring for perimenopausal and menopausal patients in all parts of Australia.’

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AMS commends funding of MHT menopause medicines

2025-02-11T00:00:00+11:00

11 February 2025:

The ��ݮ��Ƶ has welcomed the recent announcement by the Commonwealth Government in relation to Menopausal Hormone Therapies (MHT), extensive funding for menopause education and an extended menopause consultation time with General Practitioners.

From 1 March 2025, three commonly prescribed MHT products used to effectively treat some of the most common symptoms of the menopause will be available through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS): Estrogel Pro® (a combination pack of Oestradiol and Progesterone), Oestradiol (Estrogel®) and Progesterone (Prometrium®). MHT is the best treatment for hot flushes.

AMS Board President, Dr Sylvia Rosevear said, ‘The availability of these medicines on the PBS makes these medicines more affordable and provides greater choice, based on need.

‘The Australian Government has listened to the concerns of women across the country and subsequently taken this very positive step that supports and invests in women’s healthcare needs in the menopause,’ said Dr Rosevear.

Prior to this addition to the PBS, Australian women have been paying up to $650 per year for these three medications. After they are introduced on March 1^st on the PBS, the cost to women will provide a significant improvement in affordability women with healthcare cards will pay $7.70 monthly ($92.40 annually) with non-concessional patients paying $31.60 every month ($379.20 annually).

Dr Rosevear continues ‘This announcement stems from one of the recommendations in the 2024 Senate Inquiry into Menopause and Perimenopause. Specifically, that the Government will ‘ensure appropriate access and lowered costs for all who need it.’

‘The addition of these medicines to the PBS will give women access to affordable, effective and available treatment options for menopausal symptoms. Considering symptoms for some are prolonged, this announcement is welcomed by both health professionals and consumers.’

Dr Rosevear continues, ‘It’s recommended that patients work closely with their healthcare professional.

‘Additionally, we look forward to more announcements from the Commonwealth stemming from last year’s Senate Inquiry that support women transitioning into perimenopause.’ Dr Rosevear concludes.

Further information on Estrogel and Prometrium is available in the Consumer Medicines Guide.

Please refer to the PBS website after March 1 for the full PBS schedule.

��ݮ��Ƶ applauds Senate Inquiry Report

2024-09-20T12:03:49+10:00

Thursday, 19 September 2024:

The ��ݮ��Ƶ (AMS) has welcomed the ﬁndings of the Senate Inquiry into Menopause and Perimenopause released last night.

Speciﬁcally, the AMS is delighted to see recommendations relating to increasing education of health care professionals, from student levels right up to specialists, as well as the suggestion of increased funding for the delivery of continued professional development to all medical practitioners.

AMS President Dr Sylvia Rosevear says, ‘This report highlights the importance of the work AMS carries out and how vital it is to our Doctors, Nurses and Allied Health Professionals.

We are determined to incorporate evidence-based research in training these professionals. The recommendation to continually improve our highly lauded fact sheets is valued and we’re keen to action this.’

The AMS endorses the recommendation that options be further explored to guarantee that menopausal hormone therapy is made both aﬀordable and accessible to all women who need it, no matter their background or socio-economic status.

AMS are keen to work alongside the Australian Government on the following recommendations:

The suggested awareness campaign on menopause and perimenopause
A study on the economic impacts of menopause, including the impact on women’s workforce participation, and alongside this the development of workplace policies in consultation with employees; and
The proposal that menopause and perimenopause be included in both medical university curriculum and graduate outcomes for health professional This directly impacts and compliments the work that AMS conducts.

Dr Rosevear continues, ‘We look forward to working alongside many of the groups mentioned in the report, including the National Women’s Health Advisory council and the Department of Health and Aged Care, to allow access to robust information, and increased accessibility to medicines where appropriate.’

‘While the recommendations are welcomed, we encourage the government to work together with relevant stakeholders in the sector to see the report’s proposals through to fruition. We are prepared to deliver and expand our educational events and materials to health care professionals across the country.’ Dr Rosevear concludes.

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AMS calls for the government to invest in appropriate health education

2024-06-20T12:03:49+10:00

On Tuesday 18 June 2024, two ��ݮ��Ƶ (AMS) board members, delivered a presentation on the Senate Inquiry on ‘Issues related to perimenopause and menopause.’ Dr Marita Long and Dr Christina Jang spoke at length about the need for greater education through the community, specifically for GPs and other health professionals.

Dr Jang said, “We need to educate all women and health care professionals about perimenopause and menopause and its long-term health implications.”

Dr Jang continued, “We need to guarantee training is evidence-based and free from commercial and industry influence. It is vital that menopause is not monetised and is not exploited by commercial interest.”

AMS is calling on the Government to give consumers better access to medication by subsidising more treatments through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. This initiative would encourage women to steer away from unproven and unregulated remedies, and instead support their access to safe and effective treatment options.

Dr Long said, “It would be beneficial make sure all medical professionals receive training and education around menopause, as every woman has a different menopause experience. Then they need the time to treat their patients as individuals. Menopause treatment cannot be carried out in a 15-minute consultation.”

Dr Long stated, “It will behove the Government to audit undergraduate degrees and training programs and to see what is being taught so we stop playing catch-up on menopause and its related issues.”

AMS is urging the Government to support the provision of educational modules and programs to upskill healthcare professionals, including allied health and nursing staff. These modules must be universally available and accessible to support all healthcare professionals to clinical best practices.

Dr Jang and Dr Long then fielded a series of questions. These included questions relating to training, difficulties upskilling healthcare professionals and the availability of AMS resources in a variety of languages.

Dr Jang concluded, “It’s time to make sure that health professionals and communities are trained and aware of menopause, using evidence-based statistics and training. We need to guarantee medication is appropriately supplied for the benefit of all women.”

Step up for bone health on World Osteoporosis Day 2022

2022-10-24T22:49:19+11:00

On World Osteoporosis Day held each 24 October, the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) joins its more than 300 member organizations around the world to call on the public, health care professionals and health authorities to ‘Step up for bone Health’.

On this occasion we salute all individuals and organizations who are raising the volume on behalf of osteoporosis advocacy, education and awareness throughout the year. If you have not already done so, visit www.worldosteoporosisday.org to download our multi-language resources that can be disseminated within your community, in your practice, or shared in your social media. We also invite you to submit information about your World Osteoporosis Day events and campaigns to the website.

We also extend our special thanks to the European Space Agency (ESA) and ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti for their outstanding participation in our #LiftOffForBoneHealth public awareness campaign. We are so pleased to welcome Samantha back to Earth just in time for World Osteoporosis Day!

Remember - this is an ideal day to show your personal support for people with osteoporosis by signing the IOF Global Patient Charter - and we welcome endorsement by organizations, large or small.

On a final note, we leave you with two key messages from our World Osteoporosis Day media releases:

“A spinal fracture or a broken hip can be life-changing. This is why early prevention of osteoporosis is so important. Although much of our bone density is determined by genetic factors, there are steps we can take to strengthen our bones and reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis and suffering a fracture in the future.”

“World Osteoporosis Day is a perfect time to remind all healthcare authorities that there is a proven way to stop the devastating and costly cycle of recurring fractures. All fragility fracture patients should be screened and treated through a post-fracture care model such as a Fracture Liaison Service, which has been shown to reduce re-fracture rates and mortality, and ultimately reduces the burden of fractures on healthcare systems.”

Make Menopause Matter | Media release 5 September 2022

2022-09-05T00:00:00+10:00

Over 250 medical practitioners will be meeting in Cairns, and 150 joining in online this Friday 7^th to Sunday 9^th September for the 24^th ��ݮ��Ƶ Congress – Make Menopause Matter.

More than half the population will go through menopause. “The majority of postmenopausal women will experience symptoms with 28% having moderate to severe symptoms that will impact on their capacity to work, to look after their families and themselves” says Dr Karen Magraith, President of the ��ݮ��Ƶ.

Safe, effective and evidence-based treatment options are available to treat menopausal symptoms, yet most women are not accessing them. Some women and their doctors are still under the impression that menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) causes breast cancer due to the media attention given to the results from the Women’s Health Initiative back in 2002. The data from this study has since been re-evaluated and shown that for most peri- and postmenopausal women, the benefits of MHT outweigh the risks.

Women who are peri- or postmenopausal are often working in senior roles in the workplace, are more educated and juggling multiple roles. “In previous generations, women were expected to deal with it quietly but today’s women expect information and treatment options,” Dr Magraith said. More medical practitioners are wanting to upskill in menopause management in order to improve the quality of life for their patients and meet the expectations of women wanting evidence-based healthcare.

Over 3 days, delegates at the Congress will hear about the impact of menopause on women in the workplace, cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women, the impact of menopause on genitourinary health, management of anxiety and depression, as well as brain fog at menopause. More details about the Congress and the program can be found at www.amscongress.com.au

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Contact

For further information, contact:

Vicki Doherty
ams@menopause.org.au
0458 113 183

New benchmark set to deliver optimal osteoporosis care throughout Asia Pacific

2021-02-03T12:47:18+11:00

Launch of first pan-Asia Pacific minimum clinical standards for the screening, diagnosis & management of osteoporosis

The Asia Pacific Consortium on Osteoporosis (APCO) has today (Thursday, January 28, 2021) launched the first pan-Asia Pacific clinical practice standards for the screening, diagnosis, and management of osteoporosis, targeting a broad range of high-risk groups.

Published in Osteoporosis International on 28 January, ‘The APCO Framework’ comprises 16 minimum clinical standards set to serve as a benchmark for the provision of optimal osteoporosis care in the region.

Developed by APCO members representing key osteoporosis stakeholders, and multiple medical and surgical specialities, this set of clear, concise, relevant and pragmatic clinical standards aims to support national societies, guidelines development authorities, and health care policy makers with the development of new guidelines, and to encourage the revision of existing guidelines.

According to the Framework lead author, APCO Chairperson, and Director of the Osteoporosis and Bone Metabolism Unit at Singapore General Hospital, Dr Manju Chandran, Singapore, APCO employed a 5IQ analysis and the well-established Delphi Consensus process to analyse the 18 clinical practice guidelines currently available in the Asia Pacific region, to inform the development of The APCO Framework.

“Utilising a comprehensive, four-round Delphi consensus method enabled our APCO members who work in vastly different health care systems, to reach a remarkable level of consensus on a benchmark set of clinical standards for the provision of quality osteoporosis care for the Asia Pacific region.”

The APCO Framework offers clinicians structured, well-articulated, and readily accessible clinical practice guidelines that define:

Individuals to be identified for assessment;
Investigations required;
Relevant indications for treatment;
Appropriate selection of interventions to be made;
The guidance and information patients need for self-care;
Integration of healthcare systems for optimal provision of care; and
The need, and methods for monitoring and improving the quality of osteoporosis care.

“Implementation of The APCO Framework, or a similar set of standards of care informed by the Framework,
is expected to significantly reduce the burden of osteoporosis not only in the Asia Pacific region, but also worldwide. We hope that the Framework can serve as a stimulus for harmonisation of guidelines in other regions that have similar socio-econominc diversity and heterogeneity of health care resources,” Dr Chandran said.

Globally, the population aged 65 years or over increased from six per cent in 1990, to nine per cent in 2019.1 This proportion is projected to rise to 16 per cent by 2050,1 meaning one in six people worldwide will be aged
65 years or over by 2050.1 The number of people aged 60 years and over in the Asia-Pacific region – home to
more than a third of the world’s population aged 65 years and over, and to more elderly people than any other region2 – is predicted to triple between 2010 and 2050, reaching a staggering 1.3 billion people.3

Osteoporotic fractures among Asia-Pacific populations are expected to increase exponentially, not only because of the region’s rapidly aging population, but also due to mounting urbanisation, and the subsequent increase in sedentary lifestyles.4

Despite the presence of generally safe and effective treatments for osteoporosis, as many as five in six patients presenting to their primary care physician (PCP), or to a hospital with a fragility fracture, will not be assessed for osteoporosis, nor appropriately managed to prevent further fracture.5

According to Medical Director of Osteoporosis Australia, and APCO Executive Committee member, Professor Peter Ebeling AO, Australia, as many as half of those who have sustained a hip fracture, have already experienced a previous fracture at other skeletal sites.

“In fact, a prior fracture at any site is associated with a doubling of future fracture and mortality risk.

The unfortunate ramifications of the gross under-diagnosis and under-treatment of osteoporosis is that a large number of people sustain further debilitating secondary fractures, which places a substantial, but importantly, preventable burden on already strained healthcare systems,” said Prof Ebeling.

A fragility fracture, which occurs every three seconds worldwide,6 compromises quality of life and loss of independence.6,7 Concerningly, one-in-four patients who sustain a hip fracture die within a year, and less than half of those who survive, regain their previous level of function.8,9 In 2010, an estimated 158 million people aged 50 years and above were at high risk for osteoporotic fracture – a figure which is set to double by 2040.10

According to International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) CEO and APCO Executive Committee member,
Dr Philippe Halbout, Switzerland, these alarming statistics, coupled with the anticipated, exponential rise in osteoporotic fractures among Asia-Pacific populations, warrant a standardised set of minimum clinical standards for the region.

“Anecdotal evidence to date reveals significant inconsistencies in osteoporosis clinical practice guidelines in the Asia Pacific region, which vary widely in scope and recommendations. This was confirmed when we analysed the 18 guidelines.

“Implementation of the minimum clinical standards proposed by The APCO Framework, and reform of existing guidelines, will support clinical improvement initiatives, while also paving the way for a more holistic approach to osteoporosis care, and ultimately, greater consistency across all national and regional clinical practice guidelines in the region,” Dr Halbout said.

To download or access The APCO Framework, head to www.apcobonehealth.org/apco-framework

To learn more, visit www.apcobonehealth.org or follow APCO on LinkedIn: asia-pacific-consortium-on-osteoporosis

About APCO

The Asia Pacific Consortium on Osteoporosis (APCO) comprises osteoporosis experts from several countries and regions in the Asia Pacific, charged with developing tangible solutions to the substantive challenges involving osteoporosis management and fracture prevention in this most populated and fastest growing part of the world. APCO’s mission is to engage with relevant stakeholders, including healthcare providers, policy makers and the public, to help develop and implement country and region-specific programs for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, and its complication of fragility fractures, in the Asia Pacific.

About IOF

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) is the world’s largest non-governmental organisation dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and related musculoskeletal diseases. IOF’s mission is to promote bone and musculoskeletal health as a worldwide priority.

The 5IQ analysis and Delphi consensus process

The 5IQ exercise assessed the extent of disparity when comparing the national guidelines currently available throughout the Asia Pacific region.

The Delphi technique (a structured communication technique using a systematic, interactive forecasting method reliant upon an expert panel) was employed to achieve APCO member consensus for the development of clinical standards of care.11

ends#

MEDIA CONTACTS & INTERVIEWS
Kirsten Bruce & Mel Kheradi, VIVA! Communications, Sydney, Australia
T +61 (0)401 717 566; +61 (0)421 551 257
E kirstenbruce@vivacommunications.com.au; mel@vivacommunications.com.au

References

United Nations - Department of Economic and Social Affairs, World Population Ageing 2019 Highlights. 2019.
World Bank Group, Live Long and Prosper - Aging in East Asia and Pacific. 2016.
United National Population Fund (UNFPA) Asia & the Pacific. Ageing. [cited Nov, 2020]; Available from: https://asiapacific.unfpa.org/en/node/15208.
International Osteoporosis Foundation, The Asia-Pacific Regional Audit: Epidemiology, costs & burden of osteoporosis in 2013. 2013. p. 1-128.
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners & Osteoporosis Australia, Osteoporosis prevention, diagnosis and management in postmenopausal women and men over 50 years of age. 2017.
International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF). Capture the fracture. [cited Jan, 2020]; Available from: https://www.capturethefracture.org/
Madureira, M.M., R.M. Ciconelli, and R.M.R. Pereira, Quality of life measurements in patients with osteoporosis and fractures. Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil), 2012. 67(11): p. 1315-1320.
National Osteoporosis Foundation, NOF's Clinician's Guide to Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Musculoskeletal fact sheet. Osteoporosis. [cited Jan, 2020]; Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/61866386-568b-41fa-93e4-090ad201ab2b/phe187-osteoporosis-factsheet.pdf.aspx
Odén, A., et al., Burden of high fracture probability worldwide: secular increases 2010-2040. Osteoporos Int, 2015. 26(9): p. 2243-8.
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. The Delphi technique. 2005 [cited Jan, 2020]; Available from: https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1576/toag.7.2.120.27071.

Capture the Fracture® Partnership

2020-06-17T00:00:00+10:00

16 June 2020:

NYON, Switzerland

International Osteoporosis Foundation Announces First-of-its-Kind Partnership With University of Oxford, Amgen and UCB to Combat Global Public Health Burden of Osteoporosis (1)

Hip and Vertebral Fractures are Costly for Society and Can be LifeAltering for Patients (2,3)

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) has today announced a partnership with Amgen and UCB, in collaboration with the University of Oxford, to support its Capture the Fracture® program, which aims to reduce hip and vertebral fractures by 25% by 2025. Currently, it is estimated that more than 200 million people worldwide suffer from osteoporosis,4 resulting in an osteoporosis-related fracture every three seconds.(5)

Osteoporosis is a serious chronic condition that weakens bones over time, making them thinner and more likely to break,5 but there are steps patients and healthcare providers can take to reduce fracture risk.(1) Capture the Fracture, an IOF initiative, now supported by Amgen and UCB in collaboration with the University of Oxford, is a global program that helps to proactively implement post-fracture care (PFC) coordination programs in hospitals and healthcare systems to help patients prevent subsequent fractures due to osteoporosis. Even after an osteoporosis-related fracture approximately 80% of individuals at high risk are still not identified or treated.(6)

“Osteoporosis remains a global concern, resulting in 8.9 million fractures in a single year (3) and a previous fracture increases the risk of another osteoporosis-related fracture by 86%.(7) Early intervention through improved post-fracture identification, diagnosis and treatment in appropriate patients can help improve outcomes while also lessening the cost burden on healthcare systems,”(5) said Darryl Sleep, M.D., senior vice president of Global Medical and chief medical officer at Amgen. “Supporting Capture the Fracture represents our proactive approach to care designed to predict and help prevent potentially life-altering fractures before they happen.”

“We are currently witnessing a significant disease burden. As the worldwide aging population steadily increases, it has never been more important to address the impact that osteoporosis and associated fractures can have on individuals,” said professor Cyrus Cooper, president of the International Osteoporosis Foundation and professor of Musculoskeletal Science at the University of Oxford.

“We know post-fracture coordinated care implementation is the most effective(8) and efficient intervention to close the secondary fracture prevention gap, so I’m delighted that Amgen, UCB and the University of Oxford will support our Capture the Fracture program as we embark on a mission to improve outcomes for patients,” said IOF chief executive officer, Dr. Philippe Halbout.

Osteoporosis is treated by multiple specialties, underscoring the need for coordinated care to support patients with the disease. At the core of the Capture the Fracture model is a care coordinator who can help patients with an osteoporosis-related fracture be identified, screened, diagnosed and appropriately treated to reduce their future fracture risk. Post-fracture care coordination programs have been shown to improve diagnosis and treatment rates.(8,9) This partnership aims to double the 390 existing Capture the Fracture programs by the end of 2022, and will focus on key regions including Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Europe.