2025 EDUCATION SESSIONS WITH DANIELLE TRUSCOTT

27 March 2025

GP North is proud to partner with our General Practice Consultant Pharmacist and Educator, Danielle Truscott, to provide the following pharmacotherapeutics topics for 2025:

Antidepressants – How to Stop Safely

Over 90% of antidepressants are prescribed by GPs. GPs are educated on when and how to start antidepressants but have less guidance on how to stop them. About half of the patients when ceasing antidepressants will experience withdrawal effects which can last several months and for some patients can last for years and can be debilitating.

The management principles in this session are also applicable to other psychotropic medicines. Learning outcomes for this program are aimed at being able to:

  • Initiate the discussion about ongoing use of antidepressants more often with patients
  • Be better prepared to consider the benefits and risks of long-term antidepressants use
  • Formulate a way to discuss and decide about ongoing use of antidepressants with patients
  • Be able to prescribe hyperbolic tapering of antidepressants to successfully cease antidepressants when decided to do so
  • Better identify relapse versus withdrawal symptoms when antidepressants are stopped
  • Bonus: gain free access to great antidepressant hyperbolic tapering resources

Read more about this topic here: Antidepressants-How to stop safely

Parkinson’s Disease – Prescribing Pearls

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most common neurological disease after dementia. Approximately 200,000 Australians are diagnosed with PD and the prevalence is increasing.

The sessions on this topic will aim to cover:

  • Medications that can induce or exacerbate Parkinson’s’ Disease symptoms
  • Medication management of motor and non-motor symptoms of PD
  • When and how a change in PD medication regimens can better control patient symptoms and manage complications
  • How to counsel patients with PD about how to best take their medications.

Read more about this topic here: Parkinson’s Disease – Prescribing Pearls

Pharmacogenomics (PGx) – Personalised Prescribing

PGx brings together pharmacology with the study of genes and their functions so medications can be prescribed more precisely according to a patient’s genetic makeup. As a big part of precision medicine, PGx testing is likely to be
important across all medical specialties, but particularly in general practice, where most prescriptions are provided.

Part 1: PGx Overview will cover the following:

  • Explain what is meant by the term pharmacogenomics
  • Understand the basis for how genes can influence medication response
  • Name common pharmacogenes
  • Identify the main drug-gene interactions
  • Discuss the potential benefits of using pharmacogenomics
  • Identify the limitations to pharmacogenomics
  • Apply pharmacogenomics to help guide selection and dosing of medications

Part 2(Optional): Follow-up PGx Case Studies, Resources and Q&A

Read more about this topic here: Pharmacogenomics (PGx) – Personalised Prescribing

How to book a session
Each 1-hour education session is held during working hours on weekdays at General Practice rooms. It is preferable to have at least three GPs attending each session. If this is an issue for your practice please contact GP North to negotiate a suitable alternative arrangement including remote access via Zoom.
To book an education session please email Mrs Kelly Gregory GP North Administration Manager officegpnorth@gmail.com

On request participants will be emailed confirmation of attendance for the purpose of self-recording this small group learning CPD activity.