in regions with high grass pollen concentrations, springtime thunderstorms can cause life-threatening allergic asthma flare-ups in sensitised individuals, even if they have not had asthma before?
Thunderstorm asthma will be one of the major topics of this year’s National Asthma Week (1-7 September). The Victorian Government will also be launching a major public health campaign that week, asking at-risk people to see their doctor or pharmacist before grass pollen season hits.
Make sure your practice or pharmacy is prepared. We are holding in-person workshops across Victoria in August and September, plus producing educational resources including webinars available nationally. The workshops and webinars will cover:
Check our online calendar to find out if there is a workshop in your area
Get in touch with your Primary Health Network office and request a workshop today.
We are still looking for more hosts for our Thunderstorm Asthma workshops in Victoria. If you want to host a workshop, our project officer Madelaine Griffith is looking forward to speaking to you.
Along with our workshops we are publishing a new information paper that will help you to identify and manage patients who have an increased risk of thunderstorm asthma. Other resources like Asthma Action Plans and tools for pharmacist will also be available.
Together with the following organisations we are holding webinars and online learning modules that will prepare you for the thunderstorm asthma season, no matter where you are:
- Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA)
- Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA)
- Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM)
- Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)
More information and registration links will be published on our website soon.
