The feature articles below are "opinion" pieces and reflect the views of the individual authors. They are not the views of AusPharm.net.au P/L, its directors or editorial group unless explicitly stated to be so.

NO, TELL ME HONESTLY... DOES MY ATTACHMENT LOOK BIG IN THIS?? :: Wendy Morton : 17/5/2006 : OK, as of this week I have officially had a gutful. I am thoroughly over padding down my little cyberpath each morning to the edge of the information super highway, only to discover my mailbox has yet again been stuffed to overflowing by people who I reckon really should either know better or employ people who know better.
Read Wendy Morton on 'netiquette' and how some in pharmacy do (much) better than others.   More...

Paroxetine and teratogenicity. Is this just a lousy D-grade assessment by TGA or is it another post-thalidomide knee jerk reaction? :: Ron Batagol : 10/5/2006 : In his latest feature for AusPharm Ron Batagol makes out a persuasive case that the TGA should urgently re-convene its Drugs and Pregnancy expert group.

"Since the disbanding of the ADEC Advisory Committee, following the publication of the 4th. Edition of the "Medicines in Pregnancy" booklet, there have been numerous examples of drugs for which appropriate expert advice, widely disseminated, would have assisted health professionals and patients to have a better understanding of the risk/benefit, and even more importantly, would ultimately also avoid unnecessary terminations....."   More...

Why are pharmacy values holding up? :: Mark Nicholson : 26/4/2006 : Mark is the managing partner of JR's Pharmacy Services. Mark's colleague at JR Pharmacy Services, Norman Thurecht, also had input into today's feature. In it they comment:

"The multiples applied to Pharmacy earnings to calculate a sale price have not fallen. This is so despite the reality and continued risk of falling remuneration. Why, we may ask?

The signing of the 4th Guild Government Agreement late last year should have signalled some certainty to owners about the next four and a half years. However, the ongoing issue of generics and other incomplete matters such as the location rules (still being finalised with Government) provide anything but certainty."    More...

This conversation may be recorded for quality control purposes :: Irwin the evil chemist : 21/4/2006 : In today's AusPharm feature, from Irwin the evil one, he looks at how difficult 'chatty" customers can be. "And no matter what you do, none of the ordinary social signals which indicate a total disinterest in the topic, or the person, are successful in ending the conversation: general busyness, proximate staff waving for your attention, yawning, closing your eyes, snoring, even oscillating your head laterally forwards, backwards and clucking are all futile. The customer often doesn’t even draw breath for long enough for you to slip in: “I think I heard a 747 crash – I had better investigate”.

Then he moves on to the main game; the customer relation skills of his (current) second line wholesaler. "I have all sorts of customers. Big ones. Small ones. Irritating ones. I know what it is to sack a customer, and it is not something that is done lightly. Otherwise, I gotta keep them all happy, not just the big ones and important ones."   More...

APP2006: What a weekend for pharmacy :: Wendy Morton : 7/4/2006 : In today's article, published in full on the AusPharm website, Wendy Morton looks at the weekend that was......

"Of surprise to some that it was the seemingly disinterested Coles Myer who breached the citadel after a near silent skulk through the undergrowth, rather than the brasher Woolworths who made regular stop-offs whilst crashing through the scrub for a photo-op and bugle fanfare.

From a few shocked and disbelieving whispers over coffee on Friday afternoon, the tale of Coles Myer's acquisition of Pharmacy Direct rapidly gathered momentum to pretty much dominate conversations by the time the Welcome Reception rolled around on Friday night."    More...

NSAIDs and the 'Triple Whammy': out of sight but, hopefully, not yet out of mind! :: Ron Batagol : 22/3/2006 : In his latest feature Ron shares with us his attempts to get the TGA to better highlight to consumers the 'triple whammy' risk:

"My suggestion is that all CMIs for ACE inhibitor/angiotensin receptor antagonist products and all NSAID products have a statement in plain English, specifically warning of the risks of the “triple whammy”. I believe that this change is essential because the “triple whammy” is a serious, life-threatening iatrogenic hazard that is completely preventable if the appropriate advice is given to the patient.    More...

Crime and Punishment :: Irwin the evil chemist : 9/3/2006 : What does it take to get prosecuted around here? The rough digit of the justice system which occasionally points itself my way is so utterly random in its duty’s execution that one wonders why one should bother with doing the right thing; at all or indeed, ever.

The digital surveillance system was the next step and clearly showed him going to the shelves, watching all staff to see that nobody was watching and then pocketing the stuff. 12 cameras, 12 angles. Coin toss time – do I use subtly and tact: “Sorry to bother you, but I think you might have accidentally taken something and forgotten to pay for it” or the direct approach and report it to the police. I decided on the latter as the video showed the clear intent to steal.   More...

The Pharmacotherapist :: Michael Page : 1/3/2006 : I had a dream about a pharmacotherapist, a highly-respected, properly utilised resource, practising independently with no direct conflicts of interests…

In his latest feature Michael Page has a look at one kind of pharmacy "specialisation", the idea floated by PSA National Councillor Alison Roberts in last week's AusPharm feature.   More...

Specialisation, or an expanding role for pharmacists? :: Alison Roberts : 22/2/2006 : In the latest of our features from PSA National Councillors, PSA Treasurer Alison Roberts addresses the issue of "specialisation".

"The issue of whether pharmacy, particularly community pharmacy, is going down the road of specialisation is one that is increasingly being raised, yet thus far the profession has not engaged in a good debate about the many aspects of this issue. I am attempting to kick it off with this piece on AusPharm!"   More...

SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT SUPERVISING AND USING DISPENSARY ASSISTANTS (or "how many pharmacists does it take to change a light bulb?" :: Ron Batagol : 15/2/2006 : "Recently on AusPharmList, the question has arisen again as to how the regulatory authorities and practising pharmacists identify what is a 'safe rate of dispensing'. It seems to me that one important key to streamlining our dispensing operations, and making optimum use of the available qualified pharmacist resources, is the efficient use of properly trained dispensary assistants."   More...

Professional isolation; it is up to us all to help overcome this problem :: Karalyn Huxhagen : 6/2/2006 : In the latest of our regular features from PSA National Councillors, departing councilor Karalyn Huxhagen writes about professional isolation.

"For many pharmacists who work in rural or remote areas this isolation occurs because of the distances it is necessary to cover to attend professional education events or even social occasions. But I soon discovered that this professional isolation also occurs in some of our larger cities and in the smaller states for a wealth of reasons."   More...

Blast from the past :: Irwin the evil chemist : 27/1/2006 : "Bob Hawke is Prime Minister, Paul Keating the Federal treasurer. John Howard becomes leader of the Federal opposition. Simon Crean is the head of the ACTU. John Cain’s Labor is re-elected in Victoria and Joan Kirner, Education minister, comes up with a radical plan to overhaul the HSC into the VCE. It doesn’t matter what you’ve achieved, or how many levels of hell you’ve been through – all of a sudden you’re 17 again and, for all intents and purposes, it is 1985."   More...

Indications on Prescriptions :: Peter Bayly : 20/1/2006 : "Back in August AusPharmer Peter Bayly posted a note to the list espousing the benefits of adding the indication for a drug to the dispensing label. In today's AusPharm feature Peter expands on this excellent idea, and includes a copy of an extensive "Clinical Indication Directory", developed by UK GP, Dr Nigel Masters".   More...

Are you prepared? :: Bill Suen : 12/1/2006 : Monash University's Pharmacy Management (MBA) Program Director Bill Suen was recently elected to the Council of the Victorian Branch of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. In Bill's new feature he looks at how we might manage some of the operational risks in our pharmacies.

"As the enthusiasm grew in identifying AusPharm Turkeys, many of us did not take the time to suggest a change of packaging and appearance as one obvious way to reduce the risk of dispensing errors."   More...

ADVOCACY – THE HIDDEN BENEFIT :: Frank Payne : 20/12/2005 : In a stunning (and serendipitous) demonstration of the truism "timing is everything" AusPharm today publishes the latest article in its regular series from PSA National Councillors. Today, PSA National Vice President Frank Payne describes PSA's advocacy role.

"When anyone asks what are the benefits of membership of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia the usual answer that is given is that one joins in order to gain access to quality continuing education and professional development.....As well as these important benefits of membership, there is another and less obvious advantage in being a member of your professional organisation and that is ADVOCACY......PSA is actively involved in representing the profession of pharmacy to government, industry and the health professions. At a national level, PSA sits on many government committees that deal with health issues, scheduling, drug abuse and other matters."   More...

Useless skills :: Irwin the evil chemist : 13/12/2005 : "I have discovered the long, dark night of the soul. It is a full installation of Windows" writes Irwin the evil chemist.

"The challenge for retail pharmacy in the year 2005 is not in the manufacture of products, for machines can do that. It is not in the reading of prescriptions, because computers can do that. It is not in the labelling of bottles, because a brain dead rat without a bachelor degree can do that. It is not even in the monopoly supply of some substances, because, once commoditised, never again ours; I do not know that we truly understand the forces lined up against us in that respect.    More...

Using bad science to justify good ethical behavior? Well, here's a hypothetical to prove that you can run but you can't hide! :: Ron Batagol : 6/12/2005 : In his latest feature Ron looks at the ethical and legal issues surrounding the supply of mifeprostone.

"....I do not wish to re-visit all of the issues surrounding the ECP. However, as I see the various arguments unfold around mifepristone, it is obvious that some people are again relying on the same sort of bad science to justify "good" ethical behavior.   More...

SCHER(ING) MADNESS – IN A CONVENIENT PURSE-SIZED PACK!! :: Wendy Morton : 29/11/2005 : Wendy Morton's new feature highlights a mother of a turkey that has the potential for dire consequences indeed.

"For some months I have been waiting with a certain amount of trepidation for a particular lady to walk into a pharmacy where I am working, and this week she did. ........ Who is she, you ask? She is the lady who stuffed up taking her whizz-bang, new, improved Logynon ED® and if I’m not very much mistaken others like her will be coming soon to a pharmacy or obstetrics ward near you."   More...

4th agreement signed: where to now? :: Mark Nicholson : 22/11/2005 : Mark is the managing partner of JRs Pharmacy Services. In today's feature Mark looks at the impact of the 4th agreement on pharmacies:

"Pharmacies that want to be customer relevant and financially viable in the future must make a choice - either become a low price / low cost operator (eventually only one winner) or create a differentiated model built around providing healthcare solutions driven from the dispensary prescription traffic. Creating success, however, can only be achieved with the support of proper financial and retail systems, something that has not to date been embraced by the profession (to the detriment of many!)."   More...

On being right :: Irwin the evil chemist : 16/11/2005 : In his latest feature Irwin the evil chemist writes:

"I hate being wrong. I don’t know who likes being wrong, but I’d much rather be right about things, and so I arrange my systems and attitudes towards being correct......I keep a small pile of incorrectly-selected and labelled medications to remind myself of my fallible nature."   More...

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