SHPA calls for 'connection', input into 5CPA : 11/02/2010 :

The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) says that consumers should be able to access similar arrangements wherever they access a medicines or pharmacy service, adding that a flexible and nationally consistent approach is needed for consumers and to support the consistent delivery of professional pharmacy services across the country.

SHPA also contends that input from across the pharmacy profession is essential to enable a more integrated outcome from the 5th Community Pharmacy Agreement (5CPA), which is currently under negotiation. 

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Progress on e-Health? : 11/02/2010 :

Legislation to allow the allocation of a unique numerical identifier to all Australians was introduced into federal parliament yesterday.

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Pfizer Direct / DHL logistics failing the test : 11/02/2010 :

This week's poll asked 'listers to tell us about their initial experience with Pfizer Direct / DHL logistics. The result below tells its own story.

AusPharm's mail is that Canberra can't force Pfizer to put its products back into the wholesalers despite the negative impact the direct to pharmacy model appears to be having on consumers, particularly those in rural areas, who are now having to wait longer for their medicines to be supplied.

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Complete analysis of large scale mega-mergers in the pharmaceutical industry : 10/02/2010 :

Looking for some light reading as we head into 2010 proper?

AusPharm though this new book looked interesting so we clicked on the link to have a look.

It can be yours for only €5479. Tha electronic version is significantly cheaper at €5408!

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Poll: how old are your pharmacy's computers? : 10/02/2010 :

The advent of eRx, Mirixa and other new computer applications has AusPharm wondering how many of the nation's pharmacies are crawling around with out of date, slow machines that simply don't cut the mustard any more.

How old are the PCs in your pharmacy? Please let us know by ticking the relevant box in today's AusPharm poll below.

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Therapeutic goods advertising seminars on again : 10/02/2010 :

The Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code Council (TGACC) is rolling out its information seminars again in 2010.

These seminars explore the opportunities and pitfalls associated with the advertising of therapeutic goods to consumers.

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Speaking of Chemist Warehouse.... : 09/02/2010 :

Chemist Warehouse got a good run on A Current Affair last night, in a story titled 'Cheap Chemists'.

The piece was presented as 'consumer information' but looked a lot like a big price list of 'savings'. For 'balance'a very quiet pharmacy, where the customer was happy with her 'service', was also shown.

Click the image to watch the story.

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Union scathing of Guild over CPA5, eRx Script Exchange : 09/02/2010 :

Employee pharmacists' union the Pharmacist's Division of APESMA (PDA) launched a scathing attack on the Pharmacy Guild yesterday, claiming that the Fifth Community Pharmacy agreement will entrench the role of pharmacists as drug dispensers and shop keepers.

According to the union pharmacists will be excluded from the development of more efficient and effective forms of health service, including collaborations with other health professionals both in the prevention and management of conditions and in consumer convenience through co-location.

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Pharmacist Geraldine Moses to host tonight's Rural Health Education Foundation broadcast : 09/02/2010 :

The Rural Health Education Foundation (RHEF) broadcasts distance education programs using digital satellite technology, the Internet including live webcasting, “enduring” materials (DVDs), other television services and new technologies as they become available to general practitioners and other health professionals working in rural and remote Australia (more).

Tonight's broadcast (Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Clinical Guideline for Diagnosis and Management) is hosted by pharmacist Geraldine Moses.

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TGA monitoring situation with Hydroxycut : 08/02/2010 :

In May 2009, the US FDA issued a warning to consumers to cease using Hydroxycut products due to reports of a number of serious adverse reactions, including liver toxicity. To date, the cause of these reactions remains unidentified by the FDA.

Early last week the Medical Journal of Australia published an Australian case report of acute hepatotoxicity apparently associated with the weight-loss product Hydroxycut Hardcore.

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TGA: pharmacists needed : 08/02/2010 :

The TGA is seeking expressions of interest from persons with relevant expertise to fill two new positions on the Therapeutic Goods Committee. These positions, which will supplement the current membership, are for:

• A person with expertise in pharmaceutical science; and
• A person with expertise in community or hospital pharmacy practice.

The Therapeutic Goods Committee advises the Minister for Health and Ageing on the adoption of standards for therapeutic goods for human use, and matters relating to standards, including labelling and packaging, and the principles to be observed in the manufacture of therapeutic goods for human use.

Interested? Details are here.

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Progress towards national registration : 08/02/2010 :

The Pharmacy Board of Australia has released details of its last two meetings, held on December 18 and January 22. The meetings concerned themselves, in the main,  with administrative matters leading towards the implementation of national registration on July 1, 2010.

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RGH E-Bulletin: Drug-induced myopathies : 08/02/2010 :

The topic of this RGH E‑Bulletin is Drug-induced myopathies.

"Drug-induced myopathies may present in varying degrees of severity from mild muscle weakness to rhabdomyolysis with acute renal failure. Drugs may cause myopathic symptoms by directly affecting a muscle organelle, inducing immunological or inflammatory myopathy, altering systemic functions leading to electrolyte disturbances or via nutritional deprivation, and this in turn affects muscle function."

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

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Doctors are skilled in diagnosis, pharmacists aren’t : 08/02/2010 :

So said AMA Vice President, Dr Steve Hambleton, in response to the Australian Self Medication Industry's suggestion that pharmacies are a good first port of call for consumers needing advice on 'minor ailments', such as such as coughs, colds, sore throats and back pain.

According to Dr Hambleton, minor ailments are not always minor, and pharmacists advising consumers instead of doctors could put people at risk of more serious health problems.

What rot. 

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Public "overdose" highlights the ineffective nature of homeopathy : 07/02/2010 :

As part of a worldwide campaign to alert consumers to the true nature of homeopathy, members of The Victorian Skeptics, the Melbourne Skeptics in the Pub and the Young Australian Skeptics "overdosed" on Saturday on entire packs of homeopathic pills.

The mass "overdose" was part of the 10:23 Campaign, launched in 2009 in the UK. The original campaign launch followed an admission by British pharmacy chain Boots that the pills are only sold because consumers will buy them, not because they are effective. The campaign is named after the Avogadro Constant, a scientific constant which can be used to show that homeopathy products contain no active ingredients.

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ASMI says keep away from GPs for minor ailments : 05/02/2010 :

In a budget submission released yesterday, the Australian Self-Medication Industry (ASMI), proposed a health education and awareness program to highlight the choices available to consumers with minor ailments such as using the pharmacist as a first point of contact.

The Executive Director of the Australian Self-Medication, Juliet Seifert said, “It’s a question of whether in a 21st century health system, people need to physically visit an overburdened GP for such things as coughs colds and sore throats. These changes would allow doctors to apply their skills and training to best use in treating more serious conditions as well as to longer term preventative health.”

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Mixed views from pharmacists on nurse practitioners clinics : 05/02/2010 :

This week's AusPharm poll canvassed pharmacist's opinions on whether or not in pharmacy nurse practitioner clincs were 'good for pharmacy'.

While a clear majority of respondents to our poll (about 2/3) think this is a bad idea, a significant minority (about 1/3) see it as positive, at least in some pharmacies.

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MIMS Monthly Medicine Update : 05/02/2010 :

The MIMS February 2010 Monthly Medicine Update is now available. Click the link to read it now.

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Vaccinations in pharmacy – Tassie trialblazing again : 04/02/2010 :

The first phase of a trial to offer free Swine Flu vaccinations in pharmacy by Nurse Immunizers will run from the 15-22 February in 5 pharmacies in Tasmania.

Initiated by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and supported by the Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) the aim of the trial is to increase the Swine Flu vaccination numbers and make vaccinations more accessible to the “at-risk target market.”

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ADRAC replacement body appointed : 04/02/2010 :

Membership of the new Advisory Committee on the Safety of Medicines (ACSOM), the committee replacing the old ADRAC committee, was announced yesterday. The committee includes one pharmacist.

ACSOM's work will focus on the safety aspects of medicine regulation and the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects.

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