C19 Concerns

Pfizer and Janssen Australia along with Medicines Australia have been critical partners in their support of information and activities to elevate the concerns that the supply of critical medicines would be interrupted and result in poorer health outcomes. Although some members had expressed this concern based upon early media reports it became clear that the industry was intent on responding rapidly to ensure continuous supply.

Telehealth

More than 4.3 million health and medical services have now been delivered to a total of more than three million patients through the telehealth items introduced by the Australian Government for the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of telehealth instead of face- to-face consultations is helping to stop the spread of the virus, protecting both patients and frontline health professionals, and saving lives. The number of telehealth consultations has rapidly expanded, to more than 700,000 in the past week.

Digital dependence

Dragon Claw was conceived as a digital based entity with no formal offices, a virtual environment through which our community could easily and conveniently learn how to manage their lifestyle with a debilitating condition of auto- immune disease. The pandemic has forced us all to reach out and also to challenge our own level of comfort and dependency on technology as our primary conduit of interaction.  Surprisingly it is reaching us where we feel most comfortable, in our homes with our loved ones, but it is not without its challenges. Attending an online seminar for charities during ‘getonline week’ we learnt that one major company went from 8% of its staff working from home to 97% within the space of ten days and this also challenged their level of technology knowledge and competency. So we should not feel alone here.  However we will be developing a partnership to give our members access to support and programs that can enhance their knowledge and confidence in the use of technology. Take a look HERE

The easier way to get medications

Making life easier through technology is forcing change in the way we also acquire our medicines. We have spent time discussing how Medmate, a revolutionary new application developed here in Australia can help our community spend more time on the things that really matter and stop spending time getting scripts correctly filled. 

Medmate streamlines getting your medicines by enabling you to fill prescriptions online. You can compare prices from various pharmacies, shop online for other pharmacy items and have everything delivered to your home Medmate also helps you stay on track with automated prescription refilling, medication reminders and FREE pharmacy delivery. 

We are very excited and keen to see this service grow so let us know what you think at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

To find out more about medmate Click Here

Get-togethers

We responded to the concerns being voiced by our community and in the spirit of sharing experiences from within our community of common interest we developed a new online meeting forum for our members to participate in each week. On Wednesday 6th May 2020 we started a series of seventeen meetings that were entitled Dragon Claw ‘Get- Togethers’.

Sponsored by Pfizer we engaged external facilitators to present a series of five discussions on three separate topics; Movement, Mindfulness and Functional Nutrition. In addition, Dr Daniel Lewis hosted a questions and answer session during the series that gave our community an opportunity to both ask and hear other’s significant questions and concerns. Introducing our facilitators:

Movement

The importance of developing and maintaining good levels of personal movement is at the core of dealing with pain that has prevented us from leading the life we had. There are many ways to give our body a workout, a more effective level of general movement and improved sleep. Rebecca McCabe was our guest facilitator for these sessions who has unique experience as a practitioner in rehabilitative physiotherapy and pain management; and a captivating personal story shared with our members. See her bio and reference to an ABC Interview with Rebecca below.

Nutrition

When our immune system strikes back, we learn very quickly how complex the workings of our mind and body are and the role of nutrition in fuelling us. It’s not diet, it’s getting to grips with what our body and mind need rather than what we think we want. Charlotte Hill, of Chill+Nourish facilitated sessions that helped us on this journey.

We learnt from her personal journey how a new relationship with food has helped her manage her condition and also to learn about the foods we take for granted and what we can do to substitute them for foods that help our body to recover.  Encouragement to share what works for each of us and also to have a go at listening to our body.

Mindfulness

The Covid pandemic introduced a whole new set of challenges for us to contend with that highlighted the importance of maintaining our own wellbeing. These times present us with the opportunity to revisit both how we are dealing with these pressures and also trying ways to balance our lifestyle. Dr Robin Murray facilitated sessions from her lifelong experience as a Clinical Neuropsychologist and Psychologist who has helped those with chronic pain management over and above the challenges of their daily lives.

Dragon Talks

The success of the Get-Togethers was in the core spirit of the Dragon Claw concept; bring our community together and give them a protected environment in which to hear, question and learn from others about how they are handling their health status. It also provided a stage for voluntary encouragement and support based upon what has worked for me and what I still find challenging. The overwhelming reaction to these sessions has been the continuation of weekly online meetings that are now chaired by Ms Charmaine Jones who lives in Canada and has strong connections to Australia and the community as a fellow patient and retired doctor.  Topics are chosen by the members and have already touched subjects such as; Vaccinations, Cannabis and home delivery of medicines Sessions take place through ZOOM very Wednesday morning at 10am AEST so register and meet inspiring fellow sufferers.  Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.