Apple iPad - what can it do for you? : 31/05/2010 :

Want to know what an iPad can do for you in your pharmacy?

Watch this space tomorrow.

Pharmacist and pharmacy industry IT expert, Jason Bratuskins, tells all as he gets to know his new iPad.

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New pharmacy only fibre option a big opportunity : 28/05/2010 :

Boehringer Ingelheim has confirmed its intention to distribute its new natural soluble fibre product Dulcofibre® only via community pharmacies in Australia.

According to Guild President Kos Sclavos, "I encourage pharmacy to support brands that are committed to the pharmacy channel and are consistent with our role as providers of high quality advice."

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NPS rebrands : 28/05/2010 :

The National Prescribing Service has unveiled its new brand at the National Medicines Symposium dinner.

From 1 July, NPS will be known as NPS: better choices, better health – to help build awareness among consumers of what it does and stands for. A brighter, more colourful logo and pattern has also been developed to help make the brand more recognisable. 

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NSW Board reminds pharmacists of their responsibilities with codeine : 28/05/2010 :

The Pharmacy Board of New South Wales has reminded NSW pharmacists that, following changes to the scheduling of codeine containing analgesics, that they must be personally involved in the sale of such medications and determine the appropriateness of the supply, having regard to their legal and ethical obligations.

The Board has pointed out that if evidence of inappropriate supply comes to the Board’s notice, pharmacists may face a charge of unsatisfactory professional conduct.

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'Just ask' campaign to roll out nationally? : 28/05/2010 :

A consumer awareness campaign conducted in Canberra that sought to remind consumers of the importance of being fully informed about medicines, and taking the right medicine at the right time, has resulted in a 100% increase in awareness over the two weeks the campaign ran.

The Canberra pilot included the distribution of “just ask” materials at shopping centres, radio and print advertising, and mobile truck advertising to drive home the message that it is okay to ‘just ask’ at any time for CMI. The campaign also served as a reminder to pharmacists about the benefits of ensuring that patients receive CMIs in appropriate circumstances.

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Mixed reaction to S3 codeine : 28/05/2010 :

The aim of this week's AusPharm poll was to try and get a sense of how the May 1 codeine scheduling changes were affecting community pharmacies.

I'm not sure that our simple poll quite got to the heart of it but a few observations can be made.

Some pharmacies report seeing 'new' people, perhaps reflecting that drug seekers are now having to work harder to meet their needs. Almost a quarter of respondents are 'over it' suggesting that requests for codeine causes them some grief. On the other hand, for 27% of our respondents it's business as usual. The same proportion (27%) report that sales have dropped markedly.

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National Medicines Symposium opens in Melbourne today : 27/05/2010 :

Professor Jim Bishop AO, Australia's Chief Medical Officer, will officially open the National Medicines Symposium at the Melbourne Convention Centre today.
 
This biennial event, hosted by the National Prescribing Service, aims to bring together everyone involved with medicines use including doctors, pharmacists, nurses, specialists, consumers, policy makers, academics and international experts.

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eRx April/May newsletter : 27/05/2010 :

The eRx April/May newsletter has just been published. Click here to download a copy.

'Listers might also be interested to take a look at the new FAQ section on the Community Pharmacy Agreement Electronic Prescription Incentive.

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RUM bin liners no longer needed in South Australia : 27/05/2010 :

A revised RUM Project Protocol in South Australia will remove the need for liner-bags and ties to be used, with the plastic bins themselves (and contents) to be incinerated. Pharmacies will receive “new” containers on each order from wholesalers.

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Pharmacy Expo is next week : 26/05/2010 :

Pharmacy Expo at Darling Harbour in Sydney opens next Friday and will run for three days. 

If you haven’t already registered for the FREE trade expo or booked to attend the education sessions, it’s not too late.  Whilst a few of the Friday sessions have already SOLD OUT, there a number of clinical topics including wound care management, asthma, dental and infant health sessions still available.  Weekend topics include business and clinical topics which are all repeated, to ensure you don’t miss out. 

To register your team and review the available program topics, visit www.pharmacyexpo.com.au.

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PHARMeFOOTY weekly wrap : 26/05/2010 :

AFL Round 9 was not a good one for tippers with 8 winners proving impossible to select. Hayden Kyte from Royal Melbourne tipped 7 winners and also the best margin so is this weeks winner, well done Hayden! In second place was Kim Collins of Berrigan with Henk Lubeek from Creswick Pharmacy taking 3rd position.

NRL Round 11 tipping will not be concluded until after the State of Origin game so results are not available at this time. We did rub the crystal ball but! Visit the NRL State of Origin website.

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Poll: codeine, how's it going? : 26/05/2010 :

It's been almost 4 weeks now since OTC codeine containing compound analgesics all moved into schedule 3 (or 4). What effect, if any, has this had in your pharmacy?

Certainly where AusPharm moonlights, we've seen more 'new' patients and a little more 'aggro' as well, when requests are declined.

How is it in your pharmacy? Please let us know by voting in this week's AusPharm poll.

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AusPharm 'Turkey* of the year award' for poor packaging : 26/05/2010 :

A technical hitch meant we ran an incorrect link to our 2005 Turkey of the Year contest in yesterday's (e)news.

Here is the correct link: http://www.auspharmlist.net.au/post.php?postid=3900

*The aUspharmlist Rotten pacKaging rEvelation in pharmacY

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Vale Jim Selim : 25/05/2010 :

'Listers might be interested to read an account of a 1975 Pharmacy Board of NSW case that saw Mr Selim suspended for 3 months after being found guilty of professional misconduct. The Board found that, during the manufacture of a batch of cold tablets, he was responsible for substituting lactose for paracetamol.

We've had this document for some time but did not want to publish it for fear of circling lawyers. We're surprised that the mainstream media didn't make more of Mr Selim's past misdeeds during his time in the spotlight.

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New patient support resource for Lipitor : 25/05/2010 :

Pfizer Australia yesterday launched 'every day counts', a new 12 week, online, patient support program for new Lipitor patients.

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Medication Review Accreditation Incentive (MRAI) Program Update : 25/05/2010 :

As announced on budget night, the Medication Review Accreditation Incentives (MRAI) Program will not continue under the Fifth Agreement.

Details of transitional arrangements were released yesterday and these have been posted on the Australian Association of Consultant Pharmacists' website, here.

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PAC10 program and registration now available : 25/05/2010 :

The program and registration form for this year’s Pharmacy Australia Congress are now available on the congress website, here. 

PAC10 looks at the future of pharmacy in the context of the World Health Organisation’s declaration that the appropriate, efficient and cost-effective use of resources should be the foundation of a pharmacist’s work, regardless of which sector of the profession the pharmacist is engaged in.

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Number of ORT clients climbing (slowly) : 25/05/2010 :

The number of clients being treated for dependence on opioid drugs increased by over 2,000 in 2009, according to a report to be released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

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RGH E-Bulletin: Complementary medicines for menopausal symptoms – part 1 : 24/05/2010 :

The topic of this RGH E‑Bulletin is Complementary medicines for menopausal symptoms – part 1.

"The evidence for complementary medicines for the management of menopausal symptoms is still inconclusive. A number of agents have been studied; however the majority of clinical trials were poorly designed. Black cohosh and the phytoestrogens are the agents which have been studied the most. This E-bulletin will focus on black cohosh and a further edition will examine the effects of phytoestrogens."

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

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Anonymous tips and rumours - Pulse, CW/MC trading terms pegged back? : 24/05/2010 :

Got something you'd like to share anonymously with the AusPharm community? Send it along and we'll have a look.

News in from a couple of sources over the weekend is that the Pulse, Chemist Warehouse and My Chemist groups are all to have their trading terms with Sigma brought back to THREE months forward charging.

In the past, forward charging was said to be up to nine months.

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