Poll: have you seen discrimination in your workplace? : 17/04/2013 :

In a post to AusPharmList on Monday a 'lister reported what may have been workplace discrimination on the basis of pregnancy. 

Of course, there are many kinds of discrimination that might manifest in any workplace, including in a pharmacy. These include age, gender, race and religion to name just a few.

Have you seen discrimination in your workplace in the last 12 months.

Please let in know by ticking the relevant box in this week's AusPharm poll.

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PHARMeFOOTY weekly wrap : 17/04/2013 :

AFL - Round 3

Round 3 of the 2013 AFL season started off with the Bombers and the Dockers with the Bombers coming from behind to take the win by 4 points. Other matches for the week saw the Swans outplay the Kangaroos at Blundstone Arena by a 39 point margin.

NRL - Round 6

Round 6 of the 2013 NRL season commenced with the Broncos defeating the Cowboys 12-10. Other games for the round saw the Roosters demolish the Bulldogs to secure the win 38-0 at Canberra Stadium. The Knights defeat the Panthers 8-6 and the Raiders defeat the NZ Warriors 20-16 at Canberra Stadium.

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Pharmacies to offer private health insurance : 16/04/2013 :

A new in-pharmacy and online service, PharmaChoice, is to be launched in May that will see franchised pharmacies offer consumers private health insurance.

The PharmaChoice company describes itself as a 'health insurance aggregator and a franchisor'. Its strategy aims to leverage the trust consumers place in their pharmacist with participating pharmacies able to advise consumers on what private health insurance will best meet their individual needs.

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Guild President Kos Sclavos to stand down : 16/04/2013 :

National President of The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Kos Sclavos, is to step down from the position from October this year.

Announcing his decision yesterday, Mr Sclavos said: “I have made this decision, at this time, in the best interests of the Guild and its members. The timing will ensure a well organised succession plan is executed before I leave my position. “

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Students: workforce oversupply biggest concern : 16/04/2013 :

An oversupply of pharmacists remains the number one concern for pharmacy students according to the results of this years National Pharmacy Student Survey.

66% of respondents to the survey indicated they believe there is currently an oversupply of pharmacists in Australia, an increase from 59% in 2011 and 52% in 2010.

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RGH E‑Bulletin: Treatment of Inappropriate Sexual Behaviour in Dementia : 15/04/2013 :

The topic of this week's RGH E‑Bulletin is Treatment of Inappropriate Sexual Behaviour in Dementia.

"Inappropriate sexual behaviours have been defined as behaviours that are “inappropriate, disruptive and distressing and that impair the care of the patient in a given environment”. The reported prevalence of inappropriate sexual behaviour in dementia (ISBD) varies considerably, in the range of 1.8 – 25%. The issue is more common in residential care facilities or hospital inpatients then community care settings. ISBD can be seen in the context of mild cognitive behaviour, or in severe dementia and several studies found that this problem may be more common amongst those with vascular dementia."

Click here to read the bulletin in full. The E‑Bulletins are archived on the AusPharmList website here.

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New Accreditation Standards for Pharmacy Degree Programs released : 15/04/2013 :

The Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) has now publicly released the revised Accreditation Standards for Pharmacy Degree programs, which will be implemented from 1 January 2014.

The revised standards build on previous accreditation standards and include a comparison against international standards. The Pharmacy Board approved the revised standards in March, but the Standards themselves were only released last week.

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Critics attack Swisse over renamed 'weight loss' product : 15/04/2013 :

The Swisse vitamin company has come under attack over its move to replace ARTG delisted product Swisse Ultiboost Appetite Suppressant with Swisse Ultiboost Hunger Control and over its use of celebrity endorsements.

In an opinion piece published in online journal The Conversation on Friday Michael Vagg, Clinical Senior Lecturer at Deakin University School of Medicine, takes a swipe at the company after it "evaded an attempt by TGA to ban its appetite suppressant product by registering a new product with the exact same ingredient," adding that "This Indian cactus extract has no scientific validity as an appetite suppressant".

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Pharmacists put on notice over dextropropoxyphene : 15/04/2013 :

As reported on AusPharm last week, Aspen's dextropropoxyphene containing products, Di-Gesic and Doloxene, are to remain on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), subject to the implementation of conditions to promote their safe use.

The TGA reported on Friday that negotiations on the conditions and monitoring arrangements will be held between Aspen and the TGA and that a process will be put in place to ensure that any conditions imposed to mitigate the safety risks can be effectively monitored.

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CPExpo 2013 conference app now available : 13/04/2013 :

The NSW Branch of PSA has developed an app to support its upcoming CPExpo 2013. The app is iOS, Blackberry and Android compatible and is available for download now at www.psa.org.au/cpexpo. It allows simple, portable electronic access to the complete conference handbook.
 
CPExpo is to be held in Sydney from 31May-2 June. Delegates who register for CPExpo before Friday 17 May have the chance to win a 2-day package to PharmacyLIVE 2013.

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Fair Work Ombudsman audit : 12/04/2013 :

By now many pharmacies will have received notification from the Fair Work Ombudsman that they've been selected for an assessment as part of the National Pharmacy Campaign.

If you've been wondering what's involved, read on.

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Overwhelming support for pharmacist award wage reform : 12/04/2013 :

96% of the 461 respondents to this week's AusPharm poll believe it is time for employee pharmacist union, Professional Pharmacists Australia (PPA), the Pharmacy Guild and other stakeholders to work collaboratively to try to get the minimum employee pharmacist wage raised to at least $30/hr.

Of interest is that the result was exactly the same for both pharmacy owners (n=118) and non owners (n=343).

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PSA and RACGP renew MoU : 12/04/2013 :

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) yesterday signed a second Memorandum of Understanding to further strengthen collaborative efforts between the two organisations.

The newly agreed framework focuses on the commitment and cooperation of both organisations to look at ways of working together in order to improve patient health outcomes within the context of health services delivered in a primary healthcare setting.

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ACT after hours program well supported : 12/04/2013 :

The launch of the After hours Health Care in the ACT program for pharmacists and their staff has been very positively received, with immediate high uptake of the educational workshop which is an integral part of the program.

The initiative, developed by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) ACT Branch, in conjunction with ACT Medicare Local (ACTML), consists of two components; a one-day workshop and a special edition Self Care health campaign for all ACT pharmacies.

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Another 'weight loss product' bites the dust : 11/04/2013 :

The Therapeutic Goods Adminstration (TGA) announced yesterday that it has removed the product 'Swisse Ultiboost Appetite Suppressant' from the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG).

The reasons cited are that 'there was insufficient evidence to support the indications for the product and the presentation of the product was unacceptable.'

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Guild v PSA in NSW : 10/04/2013 :

Monday's AusPharmList carried a post from NSW pharmacist Roy Stevenson which called on NSW Guild president Si Banks and NSW PSA president John Bronger to 'kiss and make up'.

His comment followed a Si Banks editorial published in the Guild's NSW newsletter critical of PSA and a response from John Bronger in an email to PSA NSW members.

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Poll: time for a new pharmacy award wage? : 10/04/2013 :

Much has been written in recent years on AusPharmList and elsewhere about declining pharmacist wages. Some pharmacists are said to be working for $23-25/hr, which is the minimum specified by the Pharmacy Industry Award.

Despite the icy relationship that exists between the Pharmacy Guild and employee pharmacist union, the recently rebadged Professional Pharmacists Australia (PPA), it has been suggested to AusPharm that it would be in the best interests of the profession as a whole for the two groups to work together (with other stakeholders) to try to have the minimum award wage set at a level that better reflects the tertiary qualifications pharmacists possess and the responsibilities they carry, perhaps to $30/hr.

What do you think? Please let us know by voting in today's AusPharm poll.

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PHARMeFOOTY weekly wrap : 10/04/2013 :

AFL - Round 2

Round 2 of the 2013 AFL season commenced with a Friday night blockbuster featuring the Tigers and the Saints fighting hard for the win; the Tigers held on to defeat the Saints by 17 points. Other highlights of the round included the Swans showing the young guns the Suns how it is done, to win by a convincing 41 point margin; and the Dockers defeating a determined Doggies outfit by 28 points.

NRL - Round 5

Round 5 of the 2013 NRL Season commenced with the Sea Eagles victorious 20-6 over the Bulldogs. Other results of the round included the Broncos defeating the Titans at Skilled Park 32-12; the Eels outplaying the Sharks 13-6; and the Cowboys defeating a scoreless Panthers outfit 30-0. A notable game for the round was the Rabbitohs VS the NZ Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium. The Warriors gave it their all, however, went down 24-22. The last games of the round saw the Dragons defeating the Knights in a close encounter 19-16 and the Raiders going up against the Roosters at Canberra Stadium. Both teams fought, however, it was the Raiders that clenched on to the game to win 24-22.

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Di-Gesic and Doloxene to remain on the market : 10/04/2013 :

In a finding handed down by the the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) on Friday but not yet published on its website, the Tribunal decided that both of Aspen's dextropropoxyphene containing products, Di-Gesic and Doloxene, should remain on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), subject to the implementation of conditions to promote their safe use.

The AAT’s decision was made after considering the evidence of scientific and medical experts put forward by both the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and Aspen over the course of a week during 2012, and a further hearing in February 2013. The TGA had originally proposed in December 2011 to remove all dextropropoxyphene containing products from the ARTG.

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Organ Donation rates on the increase : 09/04/2013 :

Australia’s official organ donor rates increased to record levels in the first quarter of 2013.

Figures from the Australia and New Zealand Organ Donation Registry show consistent record growth in organ donation and transplantation month on month this year.

“In the first quarter of 2013, the national outcome of 119 donors is a 55% increase on donors for the same period for 2012. This means 70 more people have benefited from a transplant in just the first three months of this year, compared to the same time last year,” said Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing Shayne Neumann.

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