AACP Annual Seminar ConPharm 13 : Hilton Adelaide 7 to 9 June 2013 : 16/05/2013 :

Keen to enhance your clinical knowledge and skills? Meet and network with a group of highly motivated pharmacists?

ConPharm ’13 is a three day event offering a program of expert, evidence based, up to date clinical presentations designed specifically to provide accredited pharmacists, those undergoing accreditation and other interested pharmacists with the knowledge and skills to practise at the highest level.

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AusPharm CPD: RGH Pharmacy E-Bulletin CPD Digest - Issue No 58 : 16/05/2013 :

The next in our 2013 series of continuing professional development activities is the RGH E-Bulletin Digest No. 58.

This CPD activity assesses your understanding of four recent RGH Pharmacy E-Bulletins (Vol 49-7 - 49-10  --> Feb - March 2013).

After completing this activity, pharmacists should be able to:

• Understand the possible influence of medications on wound healing
• Outline various approaches to the management of haematuria associated with BPH
• Understand the possible effects of aspirin use upon the incidence AMD
• Describe the characteristics of the complementary medicine Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM).

This activity has been accredited for 1 group 2 CPD credits suitable for inclusion in an individual pharmacist’s CPD plan. Accreditation number: A1305AP1.

Click here to do this Continuing Professional Development activity. Or, if you prefer, you might like to take a look at our other CPD activities here .

AusPharm gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided by MIMS.

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PHARMeFOOTY weekly wrap : 16/05/2013 :

NRL - Round 9

Round 9 of the 2013 NRL Season commenced with the Rabbitohs and the Cowboys. The Rabbitohs were victorious 28-10. Other results of the round included the Sharks smashing the West Tigers 30-6 at Allianz Stadium, the Bulldogs defeating the NZ Warriors 24-16, and the Eels narrowly defeating the Broncos 19-18.

AFL - Round 7

Round 7 of the 2013 AFL season commenced with the Friday night showdown featuring the Cats and the Bombers. Both teams fought hard however, it was the Cats who took the win by 28 points. Other highlights of the round included Richmond playing a good brand of footy defeating the Power 114-73 at AAMI Stadium and the Eagles defeating the Lions at the Gabba by 26 points.

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2013 IMS Health-College Young Pharmacist Innovation Grant : 16/05/2013 :

Applications are now open for the 2013 IMS Health-College Young Pharmacist Innovation Grant. IMS Health has generously its agreement with the Australian College of Pharmacy to continue the Innovation Grant initiative which allows younger pharmacists to be introduced to the 'world of organisational pharmacy'.

This initiative, which commenced in 2008, has supported innovative young pharmacists to attend the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Congress.  Previous winners of the grant include Georgina Twomey, Jana Fulcher, Rowan Lowe, Sarah Sinclair and Daniel Rifkin.

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TGA consultation: Mechanisms to maintain the currency of PI and CMI : 15/05/2013 :

The TGA is reviewing the way medicine Prescribing Information (PI) and Consumer Medicies Information (CMI) is prepared and mechanisms which might be used to maintain their currency.

One of the recommendations of the 2010 TGA 'transparency' review was that the TGA consider processes and regulatory changes that would help ensure that CMI and PI reflect current circumstances. The Review Panel considered that the TGA, in the first instance, needed to explore a mechanism to maintain the currency of CMIs and PIs, including consideration of links to other information providers.

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Budget leaves pharmacy alone : 15/05/2013 :

The 2013 / 2014 federal budget has left untouched existing pharmacy remuneration through the PBS and through the 5th Community Pharmacy Agreement.

The Access to Pharmaceutical Services budget paper spells out the government's position and confirms increased savings that will flow from price disclosure and from the MoU with Medicines Australia. PBS expenditure forecasts have been reduced by a further $2.5 billion over the (4 year) forward estimates. This is on top of the $1.6 billion in savings forecast in last year's budget.

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$2,000 tax limit on CPD confirmed : 15/05/2013 :

Somewhat surprisingly, last night's budget confirmed that the government's proposal to limit CPD tax deductions to $2,000 is to be implemented from 1 July 2014.

Medical and other professional groups had lobbied strongly for the measure to be dumped in the lead up to last night's budget.

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Poll: what were your CPD costs last year? : 15/05/2013 :

As mentioned above, the government is proposing to limit CPD tax deductions to $2,000 a year, commencing 1 July 2014.

What did you claim on your tax last financial year for CPD?

Please tick the relevant box below in today's AusPharm online poll.

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Budget 2013-14 : 14/05/2013 :

The 2013-14 Budget will be available here from approx. 7.30pm AEST tonight

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RGH E‑Bulletin: Rare adverse effects of blood glucose lowering medications : 13/05/2013 :

The topic of this week's RGH E‑Bulletin is Rare adverse effects of blood glucose lowering medications.

"This E-Bulletin will focus upon the rarer adverse effects of two new classes of blood glucose lowering medications. The dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors (or gliptins) and the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogues are relatively new classes of drugs that are available as options for the management of high blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes. These classes appear to be less effective in lowering HbA1c* compared with metformin, the sulfonylureas and insulin — the DPP-4 inhibitors reduce HbA1c by 0.5–0.8%, and the GLP-1 analogues reduce HbA1c by 0.5–1%, compared with placebo.

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

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SHPA adds to pharmacy history : 13/05/2013 :

As part of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia's Pharmacy History Week, SHPA volunteers have written biographies of a number of prominent pharmacist and posted them online at Wikipedia.

The pharmacists include Lance Jeffs,  Bill Hayes, Mavis Sweeney and Edward (Nikk) Phelan.

A number of audio interviews with prominent SHPA members have also been posted online as part of Pharmacy History Week. Those interviewed, including Lloyd Sansom, Anne Leversha, Bill Thompson, and Gwynneth Petrie, give their perspective of the major changes in pharmacy practice in Australia and the roles they played in some of these changes.

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Rural and ATSI scholarship recipients announced : 13/05/2013 :

The names of the 42 successful applicants for the 2013 Rural Pharmacy Scholarship Scheme scholarships were announced by the Pharmacy Guild on Friday.

Scholarship holders receive $10,000 each year, for up to four years of study, to help cover the costs associated with study away from home. They also participate in a mentor program aimed at reinforcing the students’ ties to rural and regional Australia.

The name of the sole recipient of a 2013 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pharmacy Scholarship Scheme grant was also announced on Friday.

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Senate Committee Chemotherapy Services Report triggers war of words : 13/05/2013 :

The report of the Senate Committee enquiring into the supply of chemotherapy drugs, released on Friday, appears to suggest that top up pharmacy funding for chemotherapy services be sourced from 5th Agreement funds.

The Pharmacy Guild, unsurprisingly, immediately took issue with this saying that, if it were to happen, the Guild 'would have no choice but to trigger the Agreement's formal dispute provisions'.

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Free conference registration for ACP intern members : 10/05/2013 :

The Australian College of Pharmacy is offering interns who are members of the College free registration for its Annual Conference. The conference runs from 5-8 July, 2013 and is being held in Brisbane.

Interns who take advantage of the offer will be able to attend the Saturday and Sunday sessions and the welcome reception on Friday 5 July.

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Proposed CPD tax limit would threaten conference viability : 10/05/2013 :

Conference planners would need to seriously rethink their offers if a $2,000 limit is put in place for CPD tax deductions.

More than 1/3 of the respondents to this week's poll told us that such a limit would make it 'less likely' they would attend a conference.

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Global drug safety conference and exposition - call for abstracts : 10/05/2013 :

Organisers of the Global Drug Safety (GDS) Conference and Exposition have called for abstract submissions for the unique event being held in Brisbane from 14-16 October 2013.

With the theme of Revitalising Drug Safety – The Decade of the Patient, the conference   will feature leading international speakers including  and bring together   government leaders, drug regulatory agencies, drug safety specialists, healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical industry, healthcare technology providers, health insurance providers, patient safety advocates, and consumer groups from all over the globe.

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Meridian Lawyers appointed honorary solicitor for Pharmacists’ Support Service : 10/05/2013 :

Meridian Lawyers has been appointed honorary solicitor for The Pharmacists’ Support Service (PSS). Meridian Lawyers is widely recognised as the leading pharmacy law practice in Australia acting for literally hundreds of pharmacists throughout the country and is a principal legal advisor to the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, a number of their state branches as well as a number of the pharmacy educator institutes.

John Coppock, President of PSS, welcomed the support from Meridian Lawyers by saying “Their experience with pharmacy and their familiarity with the pharmacy profession are very valuable to PSS as we provide support to pharmacists.  The advice provided by Meridian to PSS will benefit the pharmacy profession through our work in assisting pharmacists.”

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College conference: Complementary Medicines Master Class, Monday 8 July : 09/05/2013 :

Complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) are an important facet of pharmacy practice. In a time of struggling retail income, the complementary medicines market is booming.

Therefore, it's becoming even more important for pharmacists to be knowledgeable about CAMs when dispensing, compiling a medication profile or conducting a review of medicines.

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Guild President acknowledges pharmacist oversupply : 09/05/2013 :

Having previously argued that new pharmacy professional service programs would provide jobs for the growing number of young pharmacist emerging from schools of pharmacy, Guild President Kos Sclavos now acknowledges that an unemployment / underemployment problem does indeed exist in Australian pharmacy.

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Guild boss lambasts Consumers Health Forum : 09/05/2013 :

Writing in this week's forefront Guild Executive Director David Quilty took a swipe at the Consumers Health Forum (CHF) over its 'overblown and inflammatory rhetoric' on chemotherapy funding.

Mr Quilty described as 'outlandish' the CHF claim that the industry had ‘used vulnerable patients as pawns’ in this debate.

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