Information updates

The National Allergy Council is a partnership between the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) and Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (A&AA), funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care to implement the National Allergy Strategy. As partners in the National Allergy Council, we work together to improve the lives of 5 million Australians with allergic conditions by:

• Developing accessible, consistent and evidence-based resources
• Improving awareness and knowledge through resources and support
• Promoting resources, support and quality allergy healthcare services

We work with patients, carers, community, health professionals and the health system to make a positive impact on the management of allergic conditions. 

ASCIA’s main role in the National Allergy Council includes implementation of the following projects, supported by funding from the Australian government:

• Schools/Childcare project – to provide and promote anaphylaxis and allergy education and training for people working in schools, children’s education/care services and the community.
• Shared Care for Allergy project - to provide and promote anaphylaxis and allergy clinical resources, education and training for health professionals, including promotion of patient/carer support organisations.
• Drug (Medication) Allergy project - to provide and promote drug (medication) allergy clinical resources, education and training for health professionals.

Achievements for activities allocated to ASCIA in 2024-2025 and activities due for completion in 2025-2026 are outlined below.

National Allergy Council Schools/Childcare project - achievements for activities allocated to ASCIA in 2024-2025:

• Development of a new ASCIA training website https://training.ascia.org.au/, updating of ASCIA's learning management system (LMS) and updating of course content to enhance the user experience, improve access and increase use of ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training courses for schools, children’s education/care and community.  
• Development of a new ASCIA Anaphylaxis Training Refresher Video www.allergy.org.au/ascia-videos for schools, children's education/care and community, based on feedback from course participants and the content of ASCIA anaphylaxis refresher e-training courses. 
• Increased promotion of ASCIA anaphylaxis online training for schools, children’s education/care and community, through the ASCIA website, e-newsletters, distribution of brochures and social media,  resulting in 110,216 course completions in 2024, an increase of 23% compared to 2023.
• Evaluation reports www.allergy.org.au/ascia-reports#nacscec based on feedback surveys (completed by 43,945 users in 2023 and 5,254 users in 2022) from ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training courses for schools, children's education/care and community. 
• Ongoing maintenance and support of ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training courses for schools, children's education/care with 2,119 help requests received and resolved in 2023 and 1,058 help requests received and resolved from January to June 2024.

The following activities are due for completion in 2025-2026:

• Evaluation reports based on 110,216 feedback surveys from 2024 ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training course completions  for schools, children's education/care and community. 
• Development of a scoping report for undergraduate education/training for people studying to work in schools and children's education/care. (Due March 2025).

National Allergy Council Shared Care for Allergy project - achievements for activities allocated to ASCIA in 2024-2025: 

• Funding support for 5 health professional education and training initiatives www.allergy.org.au/national-allergy-strategy through an EOI process. 
• Development of a new ASCIA training website https://traininghp.ascia.org.au/, updating of ASCIA's learning management system (LMS) and updating of anaphylaxis course content to enhance the user experience, improve access and increase use of ASCIA anaphylaxis and allergy e-training courses for health professionals. 
• Increased promotion of ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training courses for health professionals through the ASCIA website, e-newsletters, social media and medical events, resulting in 14,011  course completions in 2024, an increase of 150% compared to 2023.
• Evaluation reports www.allergy.org.au/ascia-reports#scap based on feedback surveys (completed by 1,730 users in 2023 and 1,176 users in 2022) from ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training courses for health professionals. 
• Increased promotion of ASCIA resources through the ASCIA website, e-newsletters and social media, with a reach of more than 12,000  followers/subscribers each month and more than 3 million website pageviews each year (~250,000 each month).
• Increased promotion of ASCIA resources through participation in 12 medical events throughout Australia (including Healthed conferences and webcasts) with a total of more than 14,000 delegates www.allergy.org.au/ascia-reports#sca, to promote ASCIA education, training and clinical resources. 
• Promotion of patient/carer organisations by updating of more than 100 ASCIA patient/carer educational resources www.allergy.org.au/patients including changes to improve readability. 
• Development and promotion of ASCIA Quicklinks www.allergy.org.au/about-ascia/quick-links to improved access to more than 400 ASCIA online education, training and clinical resources.
• Application submitted for MBS food challenge item number. www.allergy.org.au/about-ascia/info-updates/ascia-application-for-mbs-item-for-supervised-oral-food-challenges
• Initiating the development of an ASCIA referral toolkit www.allergy.org.au/patients/allergy-and-clinical-immunology-services to address issues relating to the process of referring patients to and from allergy services. 
• Accreditation of ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training for health professionals (2025 version) by the RACGP (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners) and PSA (Pharmaceutical Society of Australia).
• Ongoing maintenance and support for ASCIA e-training courses for health professionals.

The following activities are due for completion in 2025:

• Further accreditation of ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training for health professionals (2025 version)
• Promotion of patient/carer organisations by updating of all ASCIA health professional resources. https://www.allergy.org.au/hp/ 
• Evaluation reports based on 14,011  feedback surveys from 2024 ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training course completions for health professionals. 
• Resubmission of application for MBS food challenge item number. (Due 28 March 2025) 
• Development of a scoping report for undergraduate education/training for people studying to work as health professionals. (Due March 2025).
• Updating of the ASCIA Food Allergy Course for Dietitians to include online webcasts and in-person case-based learning to be held during the ASCIA Annual Conference week. 

National Allergy Council Drug (Medication) Allergy project 

The following activities are due for completion in 2025:

• Development of a new ASCIA drug (medication) allergy etraining course for health professionals.
• Development of other ASCIA drug (medication) allergy resources, including penicillin antibiotic allergy delabeling guidelines and drug allergy terminology, working in collaboration with the National Allergy Council.
• An application to MSAC for an MBS item number for drug challenges.

Visit the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care website to learn how the National Allergy Council (a partnership between ASCIA and Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia) collaborate with the National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE).

The National Allergy Council works together with NACE to help improve allergy care and research in Australia. Allergic diseases are one of the country’s major public health challenges. The collaboration is supported by funding from the Australian Government.

ASCIA advocates on behalf of ASCIA members to government and other organisations by lodging submissions which are listed on the ASCIA website www.allergy.org.au/ascia-submissions

ASCIA lodged five submissions on 23 January 2025 in support for the following applications which are relevant to clinical immunology/allergy specialists, to be considered at the March 2025 meeting of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC):

• Extension of PBS listing of Dupixent^® (dupilumab) for patients aged less than 12 years 
  ASCIA letter PBAC Dupixent 2025-01-23 121.54 KB

• PBS listing of a new strength of Xolair^® (omalizumab)
  ASCIA letter PBAC Xolair 2025-01-23119.62 KB

• New PBS listing of Omlyclo^® (omalizumab)
  ASCIA letter PBAC Omlyclo 2025-01-23117.80 KB

• Amendment to PBS listing of Remsima^® SC (infliximab)
  ASCIA letter PBAC Remsima SC 2025-01-23 119.47 KB

• New PBS listing of Ixifi^® (infliximab)  
  ASCIA letter PBAC Ixifi 2025-01-23 117.85 KB

ASCIA is currently advertising for a new ASCIA Project Officer to focus on expanding ASCIA education, training and advocacy in the area of inborn errors of immunity (IEI), which include primary immunodeficiencies.

The key objective of this role will be to progress the implementation of the ASCIA Immunodeficiency Strategy for Australia and New Zealand.

You can view and/or share the advertisement on SEEK

ASCIA e-training courses moved to new sites on Friday 17 January 2025, to to enhance the user experience, improve access and increase usage of ASCIA training:

• ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training courses for schools, children’s education/care and community are available at  https://training.ascia.org.au/ 
• ASCIA anaphylaxis and allergy e-training courses for health professionals are available at https://traininghp.ascia.org.au/

Registrations have not been transferred from the previous ASCIA e-training sites, so new registrations are required on the new ASCIA e-training sites.

ASCIA Course Updates 2025

The updated 2025 version of ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training for health professionals has been approved as a CPD activity by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and accredited by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) under the authority of the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC). 

It is important that ASCIA e-training courses are regularly reviewed and updated, as the usage continues to increase since they were first introduced in 2010. 

ASCIA e-training courses were completed by a total of 124,227 course participants in 2024, a 32% increase compared with 94,193 in 2023, including:

• 87,580 school course completions - an increase of 19% compared to 2023*
• 14,318 children's education/care course completions - an increase of 57% compared to 2023
• 14,011 health professional course completions - an increase of 150% compared to 2023

*Course completions in 2024 are in addition to completions of ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training courses licenced to be on NSW, QLD and WA Education Departments for use on their LMS platforms. 

Updated 2025 versions of red ASCIA Action Plans for Anaphylaxis and orange ASCIA First Aid Plans for Anaphylaxis are now available on the ASCIA website www.allergy.org.au/hp/anaphylaxis/ascia-action-plan-for-anaphylaxis 

Minor updates have been made in response to recent changes regarding adrenaline (epinephrine) devices:

• Anapen^® 500 is listed on the general and Anapen^® versions of red ASCIA Action Plans for Anaphylaxis and orange First Aid Plans for Anaphylaxis from 2025 onwards, as Anapen^® 150 and Anapen^® 300 are no longer available in Australia.

• The word “device” has replaced “injector” to enable ASCIA resources to remain relevant* when other types of adrenaline devices become available in Australia and New Zealand. The green ASCIA Action Plan for Allergic Reactions and dark green ASCIA Action Plan for Drug (Medication) Allergy have also been updated with this change.

*This is most important for the orange ASCIA First Aid Plan for Anaphylaxis which is due to be translated (the last translations were made in 2017).

The updated 2025 plans have been included into the new ASCIA Anaphylaxis Training Refresher Video for schools, children’s education/care and community which takes less than 20 minutes to watch.

To ensure consistency, ASCIA anaphylaxis training courses have been updated with the changes listed above.

ASCIA Action Plans for Anaphylaxis are emergency response plans for severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis). 

Major updates were made in the 2023 versions, and only minor updates have been made to the 2025 versions:

ASCIA Action Plan Anaphylaxis 2025 What's New394.55 KB

ASCIA First Aid Plan Anaphylaxis 2025 What's New417.12 KB

Prior versions (2023) will still be valid for use in 2025. Information about what was updated in the 2023 plans is available at www.allergy.org.au/about-ascia/info-updates/new-2023-versions-of-ascia-action-plans-for-anaphylaxis  

ASCIA Action Plans do not expire, and therefore the plan is still valid beyond the recommended review date, which is a guide for patients to see their doctor. They are medical documents that are completed (patient details can be typed into text fields at the top) and signed by the treating doctor or nurse practitioner.  

For more information about ASCIA Action Plans go to www.allergy.org.au/hp/anaphylaxis/action-plans-for-allergic-reactions-faq

An ASCIA Report on Highlights 2023-2024 is on the ASCIA website https://www.allergy.org.au/about-ascia/highlights

As we welcome in the new year, it is timely to reflect on the ASCIA highlights over the past year. ASCIA members and supporters can feel proud to be part of ASCIA’s achievements, including:

• A highly successful ASCIA 2024 Conference with more than 700 health professional delegates
• More than 3 million annual pageviews (~250.000 per month) of the ASCIA website
• More than 50 new ASCIA website resources developed and more than 100 resources updated
• Reports based on feedback from more than 45,000 ASCIA e-training evaluation surveys, resulting in development of a new training video and updating of ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training courses.
• Implementation of National Allergy Council projects, including support of new allergy education and training initiatives to upskill health professionals.
• Implementation of the ASCIA Immunodeficiency Strategy for Australia and New Zealand, with two major goals achieved.

ASCIA has been providing Action, Management and Treatment plans since 2003, which are available open access on the ASCIA website. In addition to ASCIA Action Plans for Anaphylaxis (severe allergic reactions) ASCIA has Action and/or Management Plans for the following adverse reactions to foods:

• Food Protein Induced Allergic Proctocolitis (FPIAP) and Food Protein Enterocolitis (FPE)
• Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES)
• Eosinophilic Oesophagitis (EoE)

Food Protein Induced Allergic Proctocolitis (FPIAP) and Food Protein Enterocolitis (FPE)

ASCIA Management Plan for Delayed Reactions to Food (FPIAP, FPE)

• FPIAP is a delayed non-IgE mediated food allergy, associated with blood and mucus in stool, and diarrhoea in an otherwise thriving infant.
• FPE is a delayed non-IgE mediated food allergy associated with diarrhoea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and sometimes faltering growth.
• Unlike IgE mediated food allergy, FPIAP and FPE do not cause anaphylaxis (severe allergic reactions), that can be life threatening.

Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES)

ASCIA Action Plan for FPIES 

• FPIES is a delayed, non-IgE mediated gastrointestinal system (gut) food allergy.
• FPIES causes allergic reactions to food/s that involves the gut and usually starts in the first two years of life.
• Unlike IgE mediated food allergy, FPIES does not cause anaphylaxis (severe allergic reactions), that can be life threatening.

Eosinophilic Oesophagitis (EoE)

ASCIA Action Plan for EoE 

ASCIA Management Plan for EoE   

• EoE occurs when white blood cells called eosinophils build up in the lining of the oesophagus, which is the muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. This can be due to an allergic reaction to food or other causes in the environment.
• Most cases of EoE are seen in people with other allergies such as allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and asthma.
• The number of adults and children with EoE appears to be increasing but it is not known why.

More information about these conditions is available on the ASCIA website.

ASCIA supporters are invited to participate as a sponsor in the ASCIA 2025 Conference, which will be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from Tuesday 2^nd to Friday 5^th September 2025.

Please refer to the ASCIA 2025 Conference Sponsorship Prospectus for sponsorship options and the exhibition floorplan, which is available here

As of 12 December 2024, approximately 70% of exhibition stands and 75% of sponsored sessions have already been sold, so it is important to secure a place by early 2025, if you haven't already done so. 

The ASCIA 2024 Conference was a highly successful event, with record delegate numbers and feedback. In 2025 we will make some changes based on this feedback, to further improve delegate participation in the exhibition hall and sponsored sessions.

The ASCIA 2025 Conference will continue to provide an international standard of CPD for ASCIA members and other health professionals working in clinical immunology and allergy. It will also provide an opportunity for important in-person interactions.