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Information updates

ASCIA Update – Shared Care Project

ASCIA’s involvement in the National Allergy Council Shared Care project includes:

  • Advocacy to increase access to care, including food and drug challenges, to improve diagnosis and management of allergic conditions.
  • Education, training and mentorship of health professionals, to improve knowledge and experience in managing allergic conditions.

Current areas of focus for ASCIA are:

  • ASCIA workforce surveys for Full and Associate Medical ASCIA members will be conducted from December 2023 to February 2024. The data from these surveys will be used to advocate for improved access to allergy/immunology education, training and services, include in ASCIA submissions for MBS item numbers for food and drug challenges, and identify regions with significant waiting times for patient appointments.   
  • An ASCIA education and training survey https://www.allergy.org.au/hp is currently being conducting that is directed towards institutions and results will be used to make recommendations about what anaphylaxis and training should be included in health professional courses and ways to deliver the training.
  • ASCIA website resources https://www.allergy.org.au/ are highly utilised by health professionals, patients and carers, attracting more than 3 million pageviews and 2 million visits from 1.5 million users (unique visitors) each year. ASCIA is constantly updating its website and online resources, to improve content, access and the user experience, and this will be a major focus in 2024.
  • The ASCIA Food Allergy and Adverse Food Reactions Courses for Dietitians https://www.allergy.org.au/members/dietitians has been held twice in 2023, in March (Melbourne) and November (Sydney). The next course is scheduled for May 2024 in Adelaide, South Australia.
  • The ASCIA 2023 Conference https://www.allergy.org.au/conferences/ascia-annual-conference was held in early September in Sydney, and included significantly more content that is targeted to improve knowledge in managing allergic disease for a range of health professionals. The ASCIA 2024 Conference will continue to include more sessions for a range of health professionals.

ASCIA members and staff also participated in the National Allergy Council Shared Care meetings on Friday 10 November 2023 and Saturday 11 November 2023 in Sydney.

The previous ASCIA Update for the Shared Care project is available at https://www.allergy.org.au/about-ascia/info-updates/ascia-progress-report-nac-shared-care-for-allergy-project

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Changes to PBS Criteria - Jorveza EoE treatment

Jorveza® (budesonide) is an orally disintegrating tablet for the treatment of eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) in adults, that was first listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) on 1 May 2022. Several changes have been made to PBS prescribing criteria (from 1 November 2023) that should enable easier access to Jorveza for all patients with EoE, particularly those being treated in the public health system, but also in regional or remote areas where access to a Gastroenterologist may be limited. These changes have now been recommended by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) and implemented by PBS, with prescribing criteria changes to be implemented on 1 November 2023. 

ASCIA made a submission in January 2023  to support the main changes requested:

  • For ‘other specialists experienced in the management of EoE’ to be able to prescribe Jorveza (whilst respecting the need for histological confirmation of the condition prior to initiating treatment - through endoscopic tissue sample collection and analysis. 
  • The requirement for re-examination by endoscopy at 8 -10 weeks to confirm remission was considered too rigid (particularly within the public health system) meaning that some patients were unable to access treatment simply due to these scheduling of endoscopy limitations.

In summary these changes affect three treatment ‘phases’ as listed below. The new ‘First Continuing Treatment’ phase allows patients to stay on treatment (if it is providing a benefit) whilst waiting for the 2nd histology for confirmation of remission, and should ensure doctors feel confident to commence treatment without being concerned by when they can schedule the 2nd endoscopy.

Treatment Phase 1: Initial treatment - Induction of remission

Clinical criteria:

Patient must have a history of symptoms of oesophageal dysfunction,

AND

Patient must have eosinophilic infiltration of the oesophagus, demonstrated by oesophageal biopsy specimens obtained by endoscopy confirming the presence of at least 15 eosinophils in at least one high power field (hpf); corresponding to approximately 60 eosinophils per mm2 hpf,

AND

Patient must not receive more than 90 days of treatment under this restriction.

Treatment criteria:

Must be treated by a prescriber who is either: (i) gastroenterologist, (ii) surgeon experienced in the management of patients with eosinophilic oesophagitis, (iii) physician experienced in the management of patients with eosinophilic oesophagitis

**NEW** Treatment Phase 2: First continuing treatment - until remission is confirmed

Clinical criteria:

Patient must have previously received PBS-subsidised initial treatment with this drug for this condition,

AND

Patient must have demonstrated an adequate response to treatment with this drug for this condition,

AND

Patient must not receive more than 36 weeks of treatment under this restriction.

Treatment criteria:

Must be treated by a prescriber who is either: (i) gastroenterologist, (ii) surgeon experienced in the management of patients with eosinophilic oesophagitis, (iii) physician experienced in the management of patients with eosinophilic oesophagitis, (iv) medical practitioner who has consulted at least one of the above-mentioned prescriber types.

Treatment Phase 3: Subsequent continuing treatment - Maintenance of remission

Clinical criteria:

Patient must have previously received PBS-subsidised treatment with this drug for this condition under the First continuing treatment restriction,

AND

Patient must have documented evidence of having achieved histologic remission while receiving Initial and First continuing PBS-subsidised treatment with this drug for this condition, defined as a peak eosinophil count of less than 5 eosinophils per high power field (hpf), corresponding to less than 16 eosinophils per mm2 hpf on oesophageal biopsy,

AND

The condition must not have progressed while being treated with this drug.

Treatment criteria:

Must be treated by a prescriber who is either: (i) gastroenterologist, (ii) surgeon experienced in the management of patients with eosinophilic oesophagitis, (iii) physician experienced in the management of patients with eosinophilic oesophagitis, (iv) medical practitioner who has consulted at least one of the above-mentioned prescriber types.

These changes should  provide benefits to patients with  EoE by improving ease of access to Jorveza as the only TGA registered and PBS reimbursed treatment for EoE.

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ASCIA Food Allergy and Adverse Food Reactions Course for Dietitians in Sydney 23rd-24th November 2023

Registration is now closed for the ASCIA Food Allergy and Adverse Food Reactions Course in Sydney, in Sydney 23rd-24th November 2023

The next course is scheduled for early May 2024 in Adelaide, South Australia.

This course has an interactive in-person program that is focused on medical nutrition therapy in food allergy and intolerance.

All registered delegates will go into a draw for a complimentary virtual registration for the ASCIA 2024 Conference Allergy Update for Dietitians on Friday 6th September 2024.

View the Program Summary here

pdfASCIA Dietitians Course Program Summary November 2023124.42 KB

Please complete the Registration Form here - places are limited

pdfASCIA Registration Form Dietitians Course November 202399.68 KB

Registration Fees (AuD inc GST)
  • $770 - DA, DNZ and ASCIA members
  • $880 - Non-DA and non-ASCIA members

Payment can be made by credit card or EFT - please quote AFAC23 and your last name as the payment reference:

Registration includes catering for lunch, morning and afternoon breaks. 

If accommodation is required, you will need to book this directly with the hotel or other accommodation provider.

Course Prerequisites

This course is presented in an interactive case study format and has been designed for dietitians with an allergy caseload or wanting to upskill in food allergy and intolerance, who work in private practice, community and hospital-based dietitians. The course can also be used as a refresher if you are returning to practice within this area.  The course is worth 24 CPD hours.  

Pre-learning requirements include successful completion of the following free online ASCIA course, which can also contribute to CPD points:

This course has previously been held in conjunction with Dietitians Australia (DA) Centre for Advanced Learning (CAL)  in Melbourne (March 2023), Perth (September 2019), Brisbane (March 2019) and Canberra (September 2018).  Due to  high demand, (the Melbourne course was sold out), we are also planning to host the course in Adelaide and Auckland in 2024.

Learning Outcomes
  • Appraise the complexity of diagnosis and management of IgE mediated food allergy, non-IgE mediated food allergy and various presentations of food intolerance across the lifespan,
  • Recognise the importance of collaboration with other HPs in the allergy care team for optimal patient care in food allergy and intolerance.  
  • Formulate appropriate and safe evidence-based nutrition care plans within the scope of practice, for patients with food allergy and food intolerance.
  • Integrate reinforcement of medical management and practical skills regarding label reading, food preparation and eating away from home into patient management of food allergy, including the food service setting.
  • Integrate available resources to enhance assessment, education, and nutritional intervention for patients with food allergy and food intolerance.  
Course Educators

Kathy Beck is a paediatric dietitian working in private practice in Brisbane since 2015. Kathy has 30 years experience working as a dietitian in varied settings in the UK and Australia. Kathy has expertise in paediatric food allergy and a passion to support families living with food allergy. Kathy is an active member of the Dietitian Committee of Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA). In this role, Kathy works with ASCIA members to produce clinical and consumer resources, in addition to supporting other dietitians working in food allergy. Kathy enjoys scuba diving, ocean swimming and being on the beach when not working.

Wendy Birks is an allergy dietitian with more than 40 years experience, initially in adult hospitals, the community and finally The Children’s Hospital at Westmead for the last 16 years. Her main areas of expertise are allergy, feeding difficulties, having worked in the feeding clinic for 13 years and disabilities. Wendy works in two private practices specialising in allergies and sees a range of paediatric patients. When not working she is either running, bike riding, swimming, kayaking or playing tennis and golf. A love of food and cooking fuels her desire to travel and hike the world. Wendy is an active member of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA).

Amanda Jackson is a clinical dietitian with over 14 years' experience, including 10 years working with adults with complex food allergies, intolerances, gastrointestinal conditions, and immune disorders. She is the senior dietitians in the Clinical Immunology and Allergy Department at Royal Melbourne Hospital and runs a private clinic at Melbourne Allergy Asthma and Immunology Consultants. In her current roles Amanda is involved in resource development, teaching, training and more recently project management for a multi-centre immunodeficiency research trial. Amanda is an active member of Dietitians Australia, the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) and sits on the healthcare advisory panel for the Immune Deficiency Foundation of Australia. 

Anna Richards has a background in hospital and community dietetics and has been in private practice since 1997. Anna combines the passion of good nutrition with her passion for good food. Anna is well known for her specialist work in Allergy and Intolerance in children and adults. She works closely with Auckland’s key Allergy Specialists to care for clients all over the country and is a member of national and international boards and medical panels. Anna has specialist skills in paediatric nutrition and dietetics and a unique understanding of families and children’s nutrition issues.

Caroline South is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) who works at the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) in Melbourne as well as private practice. She has over 10 years' experience working in the area of paediatric food allergy and is passionate about providing practical and evidence-based advice to children and their families, as well as working with the hospital foodservice department to optimise food allergy management. Caroline is the Chair of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) dietitians committee and is involved in resource development, education and training.

Marianne Tomlin is a Melbourne based APD, with extensive experience in childhood food allergies both in the UK and Australia. Marianne has a particular interest in feeding difficulties in children with food allergies and has recently established a new allergy feeding clinic at Monash Children's Hospital where she has helped set up the new paediatric allergy clinic service. Marianne also works privately from Kids Nutrition Clinic and Offspring Health. Marianne is the Deputy Chair Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) dietitians committee. Out of work, Marianne is a keen cyclist and enjoys exploring Melbourne with her husband and two boys. 

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Shingrix Vaccine to Prevent Shingles

Shingrix®  is a varicella zoster virus recombinant vaccine that can provide protection from herpes zoster (shingles) and post-herpetic neuralgia (long-term nerve pain). Funding of Shingrix from 1 November 2023 was announced by the hon Mark Butler (Minister for Health and Aged Care) on Sunday 8th October 2023.  The extended vaccine eligibility for 'high/medium risk' immunocompromised individuals iwill be considered at the November 2023 meeting of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), so an announcement about this will be made after the transition from Zostavax to Shingrix on 1 November 2023.

ASCIA made a submission in January 2023  to support the PBS listing of Shingrix.

For details refer page 22 - https://www.pbs.gov.au/info/industry/listing/elements/pbac-meetings/agenda/november-2023-pbac-meeting  

From 1 November 2023 funding of Shingrix will be available for:

  1. All Australians over 65 (and over 50 for First Nation Australians), which includes all immunocompromising conditions above those ages.
  1. Immunocompromised adults aged 18 years and over with the following medical conditions;  haemopoietic stem cell transplant, solid organ transplant, haematological malignancy and advanced or untreated HIV.

https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-mark-butler-mp/media/shingles-vaccine-now-free-for-nearly-5-million-australians

Once funding of Shingrix vaccination for other immunocompromised individuals is confirmed, ASCIA will finalise and publish ASCIA Consensus Recommendations: Vaccination with Shingrix to Prevent Shingles for Immunosuppressive Conditions and Therapies on the ASCIA website https://www.allergy.org.au/hp/papers/immunodeficiency

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Undergraduate Allergy Training for Health Professionals Survey

People who are involved in the development and/or delivery of tertiary healthcare degrees in Australia are invited to complete a survey about allergy training. ASCIA is conducting this survey as part of the National Allergy Council Shared Care for Allergy Project.

The survey is available here from 17 October to 17 December 2023 and will take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

The purpose of this survey is to:

  • Find out what allergy training is currently being provided in tertiary healthcare degrees.
  • Collect information to make recommendations to government about including evidence-based, best-practice allergy education as part of education and training for all relevant health professionals entering the workforce in Australia.

Why is collecting this information important?

  • Allergy is a significant public health issue with over 4 million Australians living with allergies. 
  • We currently do not know what allergy training is being provided to students undertaking tertiary study in healthcare.
  • Your feedback will help ASCIA to improve allergy training in tertiary degrees for future health professionals by standardising  training for undergraduate health professionals, which will improve how people with allergic disease are managed in the community.

Participation in the survey is voluntary and your responses will be securely stored by Qualtrics and only accessed by approved employees of ASCIA. Any identifiable information received will not be stored with your responses. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Emily Mamo (ASCIA Senior Project Officer) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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ACECQA approved ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training for children's education and care services

ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training for children's education and care services has been approved by the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) until October 2026. 

The ASCIA course is now published on ACECQA’s approved anaphylaxis management course list https://www.acecqa.gov.au/qualifications/nqf-approved (Section 3. Search the NQF approved qualifications list - under general search enter "ASCIA October 2026"):

Anaphylaxis Management only Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) ASCIA Anaphylaxis Training for Children's Education/Care Any date before October 2026 National Australia

ACECQA assessed and approved this qualification on 6 October 2023.

ACECQA is an independent statutory authority that assists governments in implementing the National Quality Framework for early childhood education and care throughout Australia.  The content of the previous version of the ASCIA course was ACECQA approved until the end of September 2023.

ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training for children's education and care services will remain on ACECQA’s approved list until the end of September 2026 unless it undergoes significant changes. 

Feedback reports on ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training courses are available at https://www.allergy.org.au/ascia-reports

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AusPollen partnership impact case study published by NHMRC

An Impact Case Study on the AusPollen Partnership and associated research projects has recently been published by the NHMRC, the peak national body supporting health and medical research in Australia. Read more here

The AusPollen partnership is an important research collaboration for ASCIA and was one of the first research projects supported by an AIFA research grant in 2014, when AIFA was first established. Since then, a total of 27 projects have been awarded AIFA research grants. Read more here

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New ASCIA Management Plan for Delayed Allergic Reactions to Foods

A new ASCIA Management Plan for Delayed Allergic Reactions to Foods has been developed by the ASCIA Dietitians committee, in response to requests from children's education/care services. This plan is to be used for delayed non-IgE mediated allergic reactions to foods:

  • Food Protein Induced Allergic Proctocolitis (FPIAP) - a delayed non-IgE mediated food allergy, associated with blood and mucus in stool, and diarrhoea in an otherwise thriving infant.
  • Food Protein Enterocolitis (FPE) - a delayed non-IgE mediated food allergy associated with diarrhoea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and sometimes faltering growth.

The plan is available on the ASCIA website https://www.allergy.org.au/patients/food-other-adverse-reactions/delayed-reactions-management-plan

ASCIA resources are living documents, and feedback on this plan is welcome, which will inform future updates.

The format of ASCIA Plans for Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES) and Eosinophilic Oesophagitis (EoE) has been updated to be consistent with other ASCIA Plans, but the content is unchanged. 

To access these plans go to https://www.allergy.org.au/patients/food-other-adverse-reactions

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