[HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL MEDIA RELEASE - This media release is intended for Australian healthcare professionals and does not constitute promotion of any specific therapeutic product.]
NEW TOOLKIT ARMS PRIMARY CARE TO
TACKLE AUSTRALIA'S CVD BURDEN
- General practitioners and primary health care providers can now access Lipid Plan in a Box, an accredited resource designed to support quality improvement (QI) activities to enhance the quality of care for patients with Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD).1
- The toolkit was developed by Novartis Australia in collaboration with a multidisciplinary steering committee comprised of primary care experts, specialists and key patient advocacy groups within the field.1
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounted for nearly one in four deaths in Australia in 2022 - claiming a life every 12 minutes, with nearly half of all patients with ASCVD not meeting their low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) target.2,3,4
- The Lipid Plan in a Box online continuing professional development (CPD) modules, accredited by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) is helping to address Australia's CVD burden and has the potential to optimise the care of Australians affected by CVD, and improve patient outcomes.1
Wednesday, 30 July 2025, Sydney: Novartis Australia has supported the launch of a new cardiovascular disease (CVD) quality-improvement program that supports healthcare providers to manage patient cholesterol more effectively, while also contributing to their ongoing professional development.
Co-created with a steering committee of experts across the Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) healthcare eco-system, new 'Lipid Plan in a Box' demonstrates the commitment Novartis Australia has for advancing scientific understanding and treatment of CVD, so people can live longer, healthier lives.1
Easy to access online, the new program supports practice managers and primary care teams by improving quality of care through professional development (CPD) and Practice Incentives Program (PIP) Quality Improvement (QI) Incentive payments.1 Accredited by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM), Lipid in a Box is available in two formats, (1) an interactive PDF toolkit and (2) online RACGP accredited CPD activities.
CVD remains the leading cause of death in Australia, with ASCVD being a major contributor to death and disability, globally.5 Primary health care providers are often the first point of contact for patients with non-acute CVD, placing them in a pivotal position to identify risk factors, initiate evidence-based treatment and educate patients on long-term heart health.6,7
Dr Karam Kostner, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Queensland and Director of Cardiology at Mater Hospital Brisbane, says that a strong foundation in primary care is essential for reducing the burden of CVD.
"In cardiology, we often see patients who arrive with advanced disease, where earlier intervention could have changed the trajectory of their condition.
"As the frontline of cardiovascular care, GPs are well placed to take action before complications arise. Lipid Plan in a Box provides primary care teams with structured resources to identify high-risk patients and guide evidence-based decision making to support better patient outcomes," said Dr Kostner.
The interactive PDF Lipid Plan in a Box toolkit is designed to equip primary care providers with the tools and resources to facilitate better LDL-C management QI activities by engaging Public Health Networks to prioritise local needs, assembling an implementation team, implementing Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles within their practice, and adopt the most effective strategies across the clinic.1 Continuous QI can also improve the uptake of evidence-based practices for better patient outcomes, better professional development, and better system performance in the clinic.8 This tailored, data-driven approach ensures accountability, drives measurable LDL-C improvements and delivers better outcomes for their unique patient groups.
The accompanying online CPD program includes seven stand-alone mini-audits, each RACGP-accredited, that practices can implement independently.9 At the same time, documented PDSA cycle results can be submitted for the PIP QI Incentive, turning everyday QI work into CPD points and PIP-QI payments.8
As CVD remains a national health burden, effective cholesterol management in primary care can dramatically reduce hospitalisations and healthcare costs. In 2023 alone, Australians lost an estimated 666,000 healthy life years and recorded over 568,000 CVD-related hospital admissions, costing the healthcare system about $1.5 billion.2,10 Initiatives like Lipid Plan in a Box arm healthcare professionals with evidence-based tools to optimise care for Australians living with CVD.
Associate Professor Ralph Audehm, General Practitioner in Melbourne, says that practical, evidence-based tools like Lipid Plan in a Box are critical in helping primary care teams take appropriate action to cardiovascular disease (CVD) management.
"Cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death in Australia, and the truth is we have the tools to change that- we just need to act. "This isn't just about a new initiative, it's about saving lives. Planned structured care leads to better outcomes. By using Lipid Plan in a Box to find patients with elevated LDL-C and applying targeted quality improvement cycles, primary care teams can address therapeutic inertia and improve outcomes in a measurable, patient-centred way. It's simple, clear, and built for everyday practice," he said.
Marco Muscardo, Director of Cardiovascular-Renal-Metabolic (CRM) at Novartis Australia, believes that resources like Lipid Plan in a Box, alongside lipid-lowering therapies and digital innovations, can help give every Australian the opportunity for a longer and healthier life.
"Novartis is proud to have supported the development of this initiative and remains committed to collaborating with government partners, professional bodies and patient groups to reduce the burden of ASCVD in Australia. Lipid Plan in a Box exemplifies our long-term dedication to advancing cardiovascular care by equipping primary care providers with the resources they need to tackle this national burden," said Muscardo.
