Information updates

ASCIA’s role in the National Allergy Council Shared Care for Allergy project is to facilitate anaphylaxis and allergy education and training for health professionals, and to promote patient/carer support organisations. This is being achieved in several ways, including:

• Development and updating of ASCIA educational resources to include weblinks to patient/carer support organisations at the top of each topic.
• Promotion of new and updated ASCIA educational resources through newsletters and social media.
• Participation as exhibitors in 12 medical conferences throughout Australia (with more than 14,000 delegates) to promote educational resources with Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia and National Allergy Council staff.

Medical conference participation in 2024 has enabled ASCIA to:

• Reach a widespread audience of health professionals, in addition to newsletters and social media.
• Promote updated ASCIA educational resources for patients/carers and health professionals through printed ASCIA Quicklinks.
• Engage with health professionals and receive feedback to assist in future development and updating of ASCIA educational resources.

Promotion of ASCIA Quicklinks

In response to feedback from ASCIA members and to coincide with medical conferences starting in March 2024, ASCIA Quicklinks was developed.

The aim was to promote improved access to ASCIA website information using QR codes in an A4 format which can be printed or accessed from the ASCIA website:

• In 2024 ASCIA Quicklinks have been promoted at 12 medical conferences held throughout Australia attended by more than 14,000 health professionals.
• ASCIA Quicklinks were promoted and included in presentations at the ASCIA 2024 Conference, with very positive feedback from ASCIA members who routinely use and share this resource.
• More Quicklinks (on the reverse side of Quicklinks) promotes links to other resources. This was developed in response to feedback from health professionals attending the HealthEd Adelaide Women's & Children's Health Update in March 2024. This demonstrates that ASCIA staff interacting with health professionals facilitates better anaphylaxis and allergy education.

The positive response from ASCIA members and other health professionals to ASCIA Quicklinks has exceeded expectations. This resource is proving to be extremely useful in patient consultations and waiting rooms.

ASCIA Quicklinks are widely used by ASCIA members and other health professionals, which is reflected by increased visits to the ASCIA website.

Read the report here

Identifying the main concerns of people living with allergic rhinitis (hay fever) will help set priorities for future research.

Allergic rhinitis is usually caused by allergy to pollens, dust mites or furry animals, and symptoms include an itchy nose, watery eyes, sneezing or blocked nose.

You are invited to participate in a survey and have your say if you are a:

• Teenager or adult living with allergic rhinitis, or
• Parent/carer of a child 6 years and over with allergic rhinitis.

This project involves an online survey, with an option to join a virtual zoom workshop.

The survey link is here and the closing date for responses is 30 November 2024.

This research is led by the QUT Allergy Research Group in collaboration with Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia, and has been approved by the QUT Ethics Committee 8618. If you have questions, please contact Dr Karolina Bednarska via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Further information about allergic rhinitis is available at:

https://theconversation.com/why-do-i-have-hay-fever-i-didnt-have-it-as-a-child-239409

https://www.allergy.org.au/patients/allergic-rhinitis-hay-fever-and-sinusitis

CHOICE study coordinators are looking for clinicians to join them in an international multi-centre academic project, which looks at factors that drive the prescription of allergen immunotherapy in real-life clinical settings.

Study title: CHOICE = “Criteria Used by Health Professionals on the Selection of Allergen Immunotherapy in Real Clinical Practice: an international E-survey”.

National CHOICE study coordinators: Prof Connie Katelaris AM, Head of Immunology, Campbelltown Hospital, Dr Narinder Kaur, Clinical Immunologist and Allergist, Dr Margaret Li, Allergy and Immunology Fellow, SCHN.

To be a part of this project, clinicians are required to complete a quick 10-minute web-based survey about current practice when prescribing allergen immunotherapy and also a short questionnaire for each patient that you are prospectively planning to commence on allergen immunotherapy.

All data will be anonymous and stored securely. For further information, please see the PDF information sheet for clinicians  Clinician Information Sheet672.98 KB

If you are interested, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your contact details, as well as your current practice setting. If you are working in a public hospital, please include your head of department in the email. We will be in touch with the next steps.

Congratulations to the recipients of Allergy and Immunology Foundation of Australasia (AIFA) grants in 2024, who are listed on the AIFA website

Since 2015, AIFA has awarded over $790,000 in grants to support 46 allergy and immunology research projects.

AIFA is now seeking donations and sponsorship to support more research projects in 2025. Donate to AIFA and make a difference - all donations go directly to fund AIFA research grants.  Donate here

Consultations Currently Open for Feedback include:

Draft National Nursing Workforce Strategy - Closing 20 October 2024 - This draft Strategy has been released for consultation and feedback from people and organisations with an interest in the nursing workforce. A notification of this consultation has also been sent directly to ASCIA Associate nurse members.

Critical Results Management Consultation - Closing 23 October 2024 - The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care is leading a public consultation on critical results management of pathology and diagnostic tests and imaging investigations, on behalf of the Australian Digital Health Agency.

ASCIA Quicklinks were developed in March 2024 to improve access and reduce the need for printing of ASCIA website information, by using QR codes in an A4 format which can be printed or accessed online. The positive response to ASCIA Quicklinks has exceeded expectations.

ASCIA Quicklinks are now widely used by ASCIA members and other health professionals:

• ASCIA Quicklinks have been promoted at 11 medical conferences held throughout Australia in 2024, attended by more than 13,000 health professionals.
• ASCIA Quicklinks were also promoted and included in presentations at the ASCIA 2024 Conference, with very positive feedback from ASCIA members who routinely use this resource.

ASCIA advocates on behalf of ASCIA members to government and other organisations by lodging submissions.

ASCIA submitted a response on 7 October 2024 to the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) call for feedback on the Development of the Clinical Immunology and Allergy Advanced Training Curriculum.

This was an opportunity to review and provide professional insights, with the redesign enabling development of best practice education and assessment models. 

In compiling this feedback ASCIA sought input from the ASCIA Directors and Chairs of the Adult Practice, Anaphylaxis, Drug Allergy, Immunodeficiency and Paediatric Practice Committees. Emails from ASCIA were also sent to ASCIA Full and Associate Trainee members, in case they wished to provide feedback directly to the RACP.  

The ASCIA response is available open access on the ASCIA website: www.allergy.org.au/ascia-submissions

It is with great sadness we learnt that Dr Rob Loblay MBBS PhD FRACP passed away in early October 2024. 

Dr Rob Loblay made significant contributions to ASCIA, particularly in the area of anaphylaxis management during his time as Chair of the ASCIA Anaphylaxis working party. This includes his key role in:

• Advocating for PBS reimbursement of adrenaline injector devices in Australia in 2003.
• Developing the first version of the ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis in 2003. 

It was inspiring and enjoyable to work with Dr Loblay on projects that have had such a positive long-term impact on allergic disease management. 

Dr Loblay was Director of the Allergy Unit at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney.

On behalf of ASCIA, we send condolences to Rob Loblay's family, friends and colleagues on the loss of a visionary man and clinician, who will be missed but fondly remembered.