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News & Trends - Pharmaceuticals

Critical shortfall in dementia policy and services: Addressing the chronic disease of the 21st century

Health Industry Hub | September 16, 2024 |

Pharma News: Coinciding with Dementia Action Week (16-22 September), the latest Dementia in Australia report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reveals that dementia is the second leading cause of death overall and the foremost cause of death among women.

Professor Tanya Buchanan, CEO of Dementia Australia, underscored the gravity of the report’s findings, describing dementia as “the chronic disease of the 21st century.”

Despite the staggering number of Australians living with dementia – currently estimated at 421,000 and expected to nearly double in the next 30 years – Professor Buchanan highlighted a critical shortfall in public recognition and response.

“Despite the growing number of Australians diagnosed with dementia, it is not receiving the recognition it needs as a public health issue,” Professor Buchanan stated. She further emphasised, “The data in the AIHW report demonstrates the importance of a National Dementia Action Plan and why we need a clear vision for the future to move dementia policy, services, and support forward in Australia.”

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The Federal government began developing the National Dementia Action Plan in 2021, guided by a 2019 review. The Plan is set for finalisation and release in 2024, following consultation with state and territory governments. This delay begs the question: how serious is the government about tackling dementia?

In alignment with Dementia Action Week, PenCS, a health analytics software provider, is unveiling new insights in Practice Cloud, designed to assist GPs in identifying and managing individuals at risk of dementia.

Dr Kean-Seng Lim, GP and Chief Medical Advisor at PenCS, explained, “Practice Cloud can be used for identifying opportunities for health assessments and planned care and improving awareness of how well we are managing our patients living with dementia.”

Recent clinical trials have unveiled two promising therapies – Lilly’s Kisunla (donanemab) and Biogen’s Leqembi (lecanemab) – that slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. As of September 2024, Kisunla is under review by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and has yet to be included in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Meanwhile, Leqembi is also undergoing TGA evaluation, with its reimbursement status still pending.

PenCS CEO Edweana Wenkart highlighted the capabilities of Practice Cloud, noting, “We can view patient cohorts by their score for Alzheimer’s disease, Early Onset dementia, Senile dementia with psychosis, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and other forms of dementia.”

She added that the digital tool allows Primary Health Networks and general practices to assess dementia prevalence and manage care effectively.

“By viewing the risk of hospitalisation, we can identify patients with a 50-60% risk of an unplanned hospital visit who also have conditions such as hypertension or diabetes,” Wenkart said. “Practice Cloud will alert us if these patients have a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan and if they are due for a Review, aligning with the new MyMedicare CDM Items launching on 1st November 2024.”

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, individuals with dementia are over 3.8 times more likely to have six or more other chronic conditions compared to those without dementia.

The financial impact is significant, with nearly $3.7 billion in health and aged care spending attributed to dementia care, with residential aged care services accounting for the largest share of this expenditure (49%), followed by community-based aged care services (20%) and hospital services (18%).

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