Good health is something no one can take for granted. Whether it’s cold and flu season, injuries or just general aches and pains, beating illness is part of our daily lives.
Every Australian visits a GP 5.6 times per year on average, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. However, many Australians need to see a GP more often due to recurring illness and chronic conditions.
Those who need to see a doctor more often than most people may find alternative therapies could offer them an additional level of pain relief and treatment.
Helping patients like this is important – not only for their individual health, but to the greater health of the community. If doctors can better understand how to treat other patients like these in the future, everyone benefits.
A new clinic has opened this month in Melbourne’s east offering patients a host of alternative treatments for a variety of issues including pain relief, chronic pain and mental health issues.
IvyMed Clinic opened its doors on April 1 inside the Atara Compounding Pharmacy, Vermont. This is in addition to two exisiting IvyMed clinics in Pasadena and Prospect, both in South Australia.
The clinic’s GPs aim to work collaboratively with patients and their regular GPs to personalise treatments with non-traditional healthcare options that can be used in conjunction with, or as an alternative to, conventional medicine.
Specialised advice is also available from the pharmacists at the same location with access to an onsite dispensary for prescriptions.
IvyMed Clinic doctors are part of the authorised prescriber scheme, which allows medical practitioners to supply products that are not included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, to certain patients with particular medical conditions.
IvyMed Clinic GP Dr Anita Nesarajah said her team is passionate about tailoring alternative therapies to alleviate symptoms and improve patient outcomes.
“Some alternative treatments such as medicinal cannabis are only considered when patients have been unable to find relief through other options,” she said.
“So, when we see patients, they need adjunct therapy options and it’s rewarding that we are able to offer them an alternative solution to their often chronic and sometimes debilitating conditions.”
