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The inverse care law is alive and well in general practice

John F O'Dea and Roger J Kilham
Med J Aust 2002; 177 (2): . || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2002.tb04671.x
Published online: 15 July 2002

Widespread availability of quality general practice services is the key to the Australian healthcare system.1 The general practitioner is the gatekeeper. Lack of access to general practitioners flows on to lack of access to specialist and tertiary healthcare, thereby challenging key principles of Medicare such as universality and equity.


  • 1 Australian Medical Association, Kingston, ACT.
  • 2 Access Economics Pty Ltd, Kingston, ACT.



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