Dr Miriam Bartlett - Endocrinologist

20/10/2025

Stay safe those of you on the coast especially although all of Victoria should be preparing for this.

29/09/2025

⚠️Safety advisory – Imported unregistered GLP-1 weight-loss products⚠️

We are issuing a safety advisory about the importation of unregistered GLP-1 products that are being promoted online for weight-loss.

The products are often marketed as ‘GLP-1 peptide’ oral drops or liquids and may be falsely labelled as approved by international regulators or advertised with misleading quality marks or claims with the aim of deliberately deceiving consumers.

We are also aware of reports of advertising containing fake health professional and celebrity endorsements for these products.

GLP-1 receptor agonists (like semaglutide, tirzepatide, liraglutide) are synthetic analogues of the naturally occurring GLP-1 peptide and are designed to mimic the same effects. They are prescription-only medicines and are used to treat type-2 diabetes and, in some cases, weight management under medical supervision.

Do not use any GLP-1 labelled products unless advised or prescribed by a healthcare professional.

Always consult your healthcare provider before using any imported or unregistered medicine. For your safety, always buy medicines from reputable sources and consult your healthcare provider or local registered pharmacy if you have any questions.

If you have any concerns arising from your use of these or similar products, seek advice from your treating medical practitioner.

Read more: https://www.tga.gov.au/safety/safety-alerts/imported-unregistered-glp-1-weight-loss-products

23/09/2025

CGM’s for Type 2 Diabetes. We want them on the NDSS. You are not forgotten. Have a laugh at how the captions split NDSS. 🤣 I tried unsuccessfully to fix it but couldn’t so enjoy the captions 🤣

23/09/2025

Paracetamol use in pregnancy is safe and this has been confirmed again today by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). If you’re concerned about using Paracetamol in pregnancy please discuss with your Doctor or midwife.

The Trump administration has made highly controversial claims about the causes of autism and ADHD, asserting that paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen) use during pregnancy increases the risk of children being diagnosed as neurodivergent.

RANZCOG joins leading clinicians and scientists worldwide in rejecting these claims. Scientific evidence shows no link between paracetamol use in pregnancy and autism or ADHD during childhood, with several large and reliable studies directly contradicting the administration’s statement.

The causes of neurodivergence are incompletely understood and remain complex, involving both genetic and environmental factors. Earlier studies raising concerns about paracetamol could not determine whether the medicine itself was responsible, or whether other factors explained the association.

A much larger and stronger study, published in 2024 by Ahlqvist and colleagues, looked at 2.5 million children in Sweden. When they accounted for important factors like family history of autism/ADHD and sibling comparisons, they found no link between paracetamol use during pregnancy and children developing autism or ADHD.

The use of medications during pregnancy should always balance the potential benefits against any potential harms - both of the medication and of the condition being treated - to the mother and the fetus. The Ahlqvist study provides conclusive evidence that paracetamol use during pregnancy does not increase the chance of neurodivergence in the offspring and therefore should be considered safe to use in pregnancy where there is a clear reason to do so.

People who are uncertain about medication use in pregnancy should discuss this with their doctor or midwife.

Learn more in a statement on the College’s website: https://ranzcog.edu.au/news/paracetamol-use-in-pregnancy/

20/09/2025

Control IQ+ for T-Slim pumps. What is it and how will we get it in Australia?

08/09/2025

Off topic but funny 🤣. I don’t think teens are talking about storms like this 🤣🤣

Kids are talking about storm safety more than you think. Get that storm rizz by checking out our website: https://www.ses.vic.gov.au/be-storm-smart

23/08/2025

American singer and songwriter Nick Jonas opened up in an interview with Pop Sugar about living with type 1 diabetes, a chronic illness he's had for most of his life.

"I've had to learn at this 20-year mark to stay on top of it, do the best I can, but also take a step back from it and try to be present in the moment with my family, with my daughter, of course. I'm not going to let it take over my life."

Get the news that matters to you straight from the source. Download the ABC NEWS app: https://ab.co/abcnewsapp.

19/08/2025

Snuck in a quick walk and photo during morning tea at the ADATS conference this morning. Really fantastic conference.

18/08/2025

I’m attending two Diabetes conferences this week on the Gold Coast. Are there any questions you want me to ask any of the tech companies? Feel free to comment here or send a PM. I’ll do my best to ask lots of questions this week especially about timelines of new products launching in Australia. Typically answers to these questions are vague but we’ll see 😃

18/08/2025

Important recall information for T-Slim pump users. Please read carefully if that’s you. You should be getting an email from AMSL today as well. Please contact them if you need further assistance.

⚠️Product Alert – t:slim X2 Insulin Pump⚠️

Australasian Medical & Scientific Ltd (AMSL), the sponsor of the t:slim X2 insulin pump, has identified that certain versions of the device have a wiring problem with the speaker. This may result in a failure which will appear on the pump screen as Malfunction Code 16-0x20E6, also known as “Malfunction 16”.

When Malfunction 16 occurs, insulin delivery stops, and the pump becomes non-operational.

If a Malfunction 16 occurs:
• acknowledge the alert by pressing “Silence Alarm”
• contact AMSL Technical Support on 1300 851 056, who will arrange for a replacement pump
• in the meantime, switch to your backup insulin delivery method.

If Malfunction 16 has not occurred:
• continue using your pump as per the user guide.
• install the Tandem t:slim mobile app and enable push notifications. This ensures that if the problem does occur, you will be notified by the app
• if using a Dexcom sensor, use the Dexcom mobile app as a backup source for CGM alerts and alarms.

You should continue to monitor your blood glucose levels regularly and ensure a backup insulin method is available as per the pump training and user guide.

A software update is in development that will improve early detection of speaker failure and introduce persistent vibration alerts. Pump users will be notified when this software update becomes available.

Please contact AMSL on 1300 851 056 for further information.

Visit our website for further information: https://www.tga.gov.au/safety/market-actions/tslim-x2-insulin-pump-0

04/08/2025

We’re still waiting for funding for insulin pumps for everyone with Type 1 Diabetes and CGM funding for those with Type 2 Diabetes. The current system is not fair and it’s not ok.

Patients like Sammy Haigh spend hundreds of dollars every month managing their diabetes, as calls for increased subsidies grow.