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.
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Opinion
Solution – set up an enquiry. This was known as the Wilkinson Review aka the National Competition Policy Review of Pharmacy aka a Review of Pharmacy Ownership. More...
"When the PBS reforms were announced in November 2006 they created a great wave of interest but to date the ripples of change have not been felt – but rest assured, they will. There are many facets to the reforms. While the total effects (both positive and negative) will only be felt in the years to come, it is important to understand what changes are occurring now so you can plan for change." More...
While history might be light heartedly considered by some as “the story of something that never happened, written by someone who wasn’t there”, we should ignore its impact on our here and now at our peril.
"On a recent ‘adventure’ to India I had an unfortunate encounter with the Indian railway system. Insisting that the railway system is a ‘true experience’, a friend, who had backpacked around ‘the world’ recently, advised me to make this very much a part of my adventure. Little did I know what he meant by ‘true experience’. As I entered the Mumbai station of Dadar I was greeted with masses of people, the distinct ‘smell’ of India (a concoction of incense, spices and musk) and, of course, hawkers trying to convince me that they have the ‘world’s best…’!" More...
The manager of that pharmacy is Bruce Moffat, who tells us his story today.... "For those of you who would rather have a vicarious experience with a novel than a novel experience with a Vicar, read on. This is your vicarious experience of how your Pharmacy Insurance Policy works." More...
Unknown to the pharmacist, the patient turned out to be opiate naive, even though she assured the pharmacist that she had "taken the drug before and knew all about it! More...
"There are many ways in which we separate complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) – including herbal medicines, vitamins, and so on – from orthodox medicines." More...
"Community pharmacies are distinguishable from other retail outlets because they are owned and managed by pharmacists, they supply scheduled medicines and they provide predominantly health products. There is an ongoing debate about whether the pharmacy "What prevents this happening now? What prevents a supermarket from dispensing medicines? Does anything prevent a pharmacist from selling a full range of domestic items and so, in effect, operating a supermarket?" More...
"Over the past 12 months, many of you would have followed the news of the bizarre sleep-associated side effects linked with zolpidem a.k.a. “Stilnox®”. Indeed, just last week the TGA issued updated warnings about the drug.(1) But did you know that zolpidem’s strange side effects have serendipitously created new applications for the drug in a range of CNS disorders from brain injury to restless legs? Let me tell you all about it." More...
"When agreeing to employ a pre-registration pharmacist, a preceptor should always keep in mind that they are not simply employing a staff member but are providing an opportunity to educate and train the next generation of pharmacists." More...
Dr Sainsbury-Salis is a Senior Research Fellow at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and author of The Don't Go Hungry Diet. In today's AusPharm feature she explains her research into reducing 'the famine reaction'. Acording to Dr Sainsbury-Salis: "Whilst providing your clients with scientifically based advice for effective weight loss won't sell weight loss products such as the kind mentioned in Stuart Adam's article of October 23rd, a growing number of astute customers are looking for real solutions from professionals they can trust." More...
One exchange of posts immediately caught my eye. It concerned the situation of a pharmacist who sells a cough mixture which contains saccharin to a pregnant client and the ensuing debate around how to access the safety in pregnancy of saccharin used as a flavouring in medicinal products. More...
I've seen some true gems walk through this competition, often discovered as diamonds in the rough, yet nothing prepared me for a recent 'moment in time'. I thought I had seen the breadth and depth of social intelligence but I now reside in the comfort of mankind's unique ability to adapt. More...
"....A young pharmacist identifies an opportunity to start a pharmacy in a new medical centre in a large city. The centre is less than 1.5 kilometres from the nearest pharmacy and so there is no possibility of seeking a new pharmacy approval under the Pharmacy Location Rules. However, the centre is more than 500 metres from the nearest pharmacy and so it may be possible to relocate a pharmacy approval number to the centre." More...
How many times do we have to hear this before the majority of us recognise the state of urgency that exists for change? More...
"The BHP share price on October 1, 2002 was $9.10. Five years later, on October 12, 2007 it was $46.20. This represents an amazing annual growth rate of 38.4%!" More...
"Pharmacy exists in a competitive marketplace and differentiating one's business from those in the surrounding area can help to ensure a prosperous enterprise for years to come. How does a business owner discover a market segment that is yet to be utilised in your local area? It all comes down to research." More...
 This features page will be updated with new opinion pieces regularly. Unlike the hard copy publications that publish all their content once each week/fortnight/month we will publish on a rolling basis. Got something to say? Fancy yourself as a features writer? At AusPharm.net.au we are always on the lookout for people with an opinion to express. If you think you fit the bill, contact Mark Dunn to express an interest or to get further information. |
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The debate around pharmacy ownership circa 1999 was nearly at boiling point. The States were dragging their feet to conclude competition policy reviews before the 2000 deadline. The supermarket lobby was excited at the prospect of getting a foot in the pharmacy door. The Federal Government and the Opposition stated publicly that they supported the current model of pharmacist owned pharmacies and the Pharmacy Guild in NSW mobilised the troops with a petition of thousands of signatures aimed at retaining the status quo.
In today's AusPharm feature article, 
As 
In a recent Pharmacy Board of Victoria Newsletter was a report on a case, referred to it by the Coroner, (1) of a pharmacist who had been "cajoled and bullied" by a client, obviously against the pharmacist's better judgement, into dispensing what turned out to be a fatal course of MS Contin treatment, after the prescriber was apparently uncontactable. 
As 2007 draws to a close Michael Page offers his view on why we should reconsider the way we look at the dichotomy that currently exists between 'orthodox' and complementary medicines. 
In her last contribution to AusPharm for 2007, Dr Geraldine Moses writes about 'good zolpidem'.
). Today’s topic is about structuring for success." More... 
Recently, after I returned from a vacation, I had a quick look, as is my wont, at what I had missed on AusPharmList in the two weeks that I had been away. 
the art of 
A team from the Griffith University School of Pharmacy recently won the 
Have you read this month's Veteran's Mates Therapeutic Brief (VMTB) entitled Antipsychotics in Dementia? It's excellent.