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Allergy Advice Platform Expands to Help GPs Manage Allergic Disease Across Australia

Lanham Media on behalf of the National Allergy Council

Media release

 

A groundbreaking allergy advice platform, launched earlier this year to support rural and remote doctors, is now being expanded to GPs nationwide, providing direct access to allergy specialists for timely clinical advice and education.

 

Developed by the National Allergy Council (NAC) and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM), the free allergy assist® platform enables registered GPs and rural generalists to submit a de-identified patient case, detailing information about their clinical history and allergic presentation. A clinical immunology/allergy specialist reviews the case and responds within 48 hours. Advice supports local management where possible or recommends a referral if needed.

 

Since launching in February 2025, allergy assist® has seen strong engagement with 646 doctors registering and 89% of those working in a regional, rural or remote location. In conjunction with the advice service, a series of educational webinars are offered on allergy topics commonly seen in primary care, with tips and tools on best practice management. Early feedback from these webinars has been positive, with strong engagement through question-and-answer discussions and suggestions for further topics.

 

The allergy assist® platform, an initiative of the National Allergy Council’s Shared Care for Allergy Program, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, supports GPs to correctly diagnose and manage allergic disease, including food, drug (medication) and insect allergies, allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma and eczema.

 

Sandra Vale, CEO of the National Allergy Council, said the program is helping to build a stronger, more connected model of allergy care.

 

“We know a large and increasing number of Australians live with allergic disease, many chronic, and access to care can be difficult with long waiting times,” she said. “Through the Shared Care for Allergy Program we are supporting healthcare professionals to work effectively together to provide timely, evidence-based care to patients with allergic diseases.”

 

Dr Melanie Wong, National Allergy Council Director and Paediatric Clinical Immunology/Allergy Specialist, said this next phase would test the program’s scalability.

 

“This phase will show how a shared-care approach can work at scale,” she said. “By connecting GPs directly with allergy specialists, allergy assist® builds capability, promotes earlier intervention and ensures patients receive the right care at the right time, in the right place.”

 

Maria Said AM, National Allergy Council Director and CEO of Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia, said the expansion recognises the increasing demand for clinical guidance across both metropolitan and regional general practice.

 

“Early access to accurate, consistent advice makes all the difference in managing allergic disease,” she said. “For many families, that starts with their GP. The allergy assist® initiative gives doctors the support and specialist input they need to manage more cases in primary care and refer only when clinically necessary.”

 

Building on Proven Success

The platform builds on the success of ACRRM’s Tele-Derm service, which has supported more than 5,000 rural doctors with specialist dermatology advice over two decades.

 

“The allergy assist® initiative uses the same shared-care approach that has proven so effective through Tele-Derm,” said Dr Rod Martin, President of ACRRM. “It strengthens GP capability, supports better clinical decisions and helps reduce unnecessary referrals.”

 

Looking Ahead

The expanded pilot will continue until February 2026, with evaluation underway through the University of Western Australia to assess scalability and impact on primary-care allergy management.

 

“This is about strengthening primary care and ensuring GPs and rural generalists feel supported,” Ms Said added. “Whether they’re in a city, a country town or in the outback, they can access timely specialist input and deliver quality allergy care.”

 

For more information, visit:

https://nationalallergycouncil.org.au/projects/shared-care-for-allergy/allergy-assist

 

Distributed by Lanham Media on behalf of the National Allergy Council

 

Media contacts:

Greg Townley | [email protected] | 0414 195 908

Fleur Townley | [email protected] | 0405 278 758

 

Media Assets available here

 

 

About the National Allergy Council

The National Allergy Council is a partnership between the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) and Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (A&AA). The National Allergy Council aims to improve the health and quality of life of Australians with allergic diseases and minimise the burden on individuals, carers, healthcare services, and the community. For more information, visit: www.nationalallergycouncil.org.au.

 

About the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM)

The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine is the only College in Australia entirely dedicated to training and supporting Rural Generalists and rural General Practitioners to provide high-quality healthcare where it is most needed. Our vision is for healthy rural, remote and First Nations communities through excellence, social accountability, and innovation. For more information, visit: www.acrrm.org.au.

 

Allergy facts

• Allergic disease is increasing in prevalence and complexity in Australia and is among one of the fastest growing chronic medical conditions.¹
• In 2024, it is estimated that there are approximately 8.2 million Australians (30%) living with allergic disease.¹
• Delayed access to medical care and long waiting times for management of allergic diseases in all areas (rural, remote and metropolitan) is a major problem, due to the high number of diagnosed patients and low number of appropriately trained healthcare professionals².
• Among the allergic conditions, allergic rhinitis (hay fever) remains the most common.¹
• Food allergy affects 1 in 10 of babies³, 1 in 20 children aged 10 to 14⁴ and approximately 2 in 50 adults⁵.
• Food allergy induced anaphylaxis doubled between 2003 and 2013⁶.
• Annual food anaphylaxis admission rates increased nine-fold between 1998/99 and 2018/19 – the highest absolute rates in those aged less than one year⁶. However, the annual rate of increase slowed in those aged one to nine after changes to ASCIA infant feeding guidelines, supporting the Nip allergies in the Bub allergy prevention project.
• Deaths from anaphylaxis in Australia have increased by seven per cent per year (1997-2013)⁶.
• Those at risk of anaphylaxis live with the very real daily fear of a life-threatening severe allergic reaction. Individuals at risk of food allergy induced anaphylaxis and their carers have higher than average rates of anxiety^7-9.
• Fatalities from food-induced anaphylaxis increase by around 10 per cent each year¹⁰.

 

References

1. Deloitte Access Economics 2025, Costly Reactions: The economic and social cost of allergic disease in Australia. Report for the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) and the National Allergy Council
2. National Allergy Strategy. August 2015. Accessed 31 October 2025:

https://a.storyblok.com/f/285504247579183/x/950ad06494/nas_document_final_web.pdf

3. Osborne NJ, Koplin JJ, Martin PE, Gurrin LC, Lowe AJ, Matheson MC, et al. Prevalence of challenge proven IgE-mediated food allergy using population-based sampling and predetermined challenge criteria in infants. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2011; 127 (3):668-76
4. Sasaki M, Koplin JJ, Dharmage SC, Field MJ, Sawyer SM, McWilliam V, Peters RL, Gurrin LC, Vuillermin PJ, Douglass J, Pezic A, Brewerton M, Tang MLK, Patton GC, Allen KJ. Prevalence of clinic-defined food allergy in early adolescence: the School Nuts study. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2017;DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2017.05.041
5. Tang MLK, Mullins RJ. Food allergy: is prevalence increasing? IMJ. 2017. doi:10.1111/imj.13362
6. Mullins RJ, Dear KBG, Tang MLK. Changes in Australian food anaphylaxis admission rates following introduction of updated allergy prevention guidelines. Journal of allergy and clinical immunology. 2022; (in press). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2021.12.795.
7. Venter C, Sommer I, Moonesinghe H, Grundy J, Glasbey G, Patil V, Dean T. Health-Related Quality of Life in children with perceived and diagnosed food hypersensitivity. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2015 Mar; 26(2): 26-32. DOI: 10.1111/pai.12337. PubMed PMID: 25616166
8. Lau GY, Patel N, Umasunthar T, Gore C, Warner JO, Hanna H, Phillips K, Zaki AM, Hodes M, Boyle RJ. Anxiety and stress in mothers of food-allergic children. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 204 May; 25(3):236-42. DOI: 10.1111/pai.2337. PubMed PMID: 24750570
9. Bacal LR. The impact of food allergies on quality of life. Paediatr Ann. 203 Jul;42(7):141-5. DOI: 10.3928/00904481-20130619-12. Review. PubMed PMID: 23805962.
10. Mullins et al. Anaphylaxis Fatalities in Australia 1997 to 2013. JACI. 2016. 137 (2): Suppl AB57. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2015.12.189