PHARMeFOOTY weekly wrap : 29/07/2009 :

AFL Round 17 was a difficult one for tippers with 6 selecting all 8 winners. The margin game decided Tanika Williams from Paul Ukich Pharmacy was this weeks $50 winner, well done Tanika. In 2nd place was Peter Butcher of Ginindera Pharmacy with Greg Cooper from NewTown Pharmacy taking out 3rd position.

The Leaderboard could not be any tighter with 3 tippers all on 104 points, only total margin separates the placings. Jennifer Nelson from Coady`s Pharmacy moves up to hold the top position, with Mandy Patterson (supplier) close behind in 2nd place. Mez Hoy (contractor) has been the big mover and joins the leaders in 3rd spot. J Inglis from Kyneton District Health Service leads the chasers in 4th position on 103 points. Make it count in Round 18!

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Congratulations Chris and Linda : 29/07/2009 :

RGH E-Bulletin (and AusPharm) editor/author Chris Alderman and Linda McCarthy were married at the Middleton Beach Huts in SA last Saturday. The wedding party was made up of their children - Imogen, Amanda, Jonty, Matt and Jay.

The ceremony was followed by a great party attended by their friends and family, including many pharmacists, doctors, nurses and others from RGH, the SA medical community and pharmacy academia.

The happy couple will be honeymooning in South India. (Click the photo for a larger version).

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Industry also happy with NHHRC report : 29/07/2009 :

Medicines Australia (MA) yesterday said that it too was happy with the final report and the recommendations of the The National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission. In particular, it commented that the absence of any recommendations of further major funding reforms for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme suggested that the Government should allow the reforms to run their course.

“Medicines Australia argued strongly for the maintenance of current funding arrangements for the PBS,” said MA CEO, Ian Chalmers said.

“The principles of PBS reform – namely delivering savings while ensuring universal access to new medicines – remain critically important. I applaud the Commission for recognising this," he added.

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Nurofen sponsor fights back over triple whammy warning : 29/07/2009 :

Nurofen manufacturer, Reckitt Benckiser (RB), has responded to this week's Kidney Health Australia warning that OTC NSAIDs are putting people at risk of 'triple whammy' induced renal damage.

RB says that all Nurofen packaging clearly states patients should seek medical advice from their doctor or pharmacist before taking ibuprofen if they are taking medication regularly or are 65 years or over. The company added that ACE inhibitors and diuretics are only available only on prescription and that people taking these medications should discuss their pain management needs with their doctor or pharmacist.

RB has enlisted the support of pharmacist identity, John Bell, to help it get its message across.

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AusPharm CE: Update on Fish Oils and Cardiovascular Disease : 28/07/2009 :

The latest AusPharm CE topic is Update on Fish Oils and Cardiovascular Disease - it's been put together for us by Angus Thompson and Tonie Miller.

"Marine fish oils, from dietary and supplemental sources are products which generate significant interest amongst both the general public and health professionals. The scale of ongoing research attests to the potential benefits of marine fish oils in a wide range of disease states. It is however in the sphere of cardiovascular disease that marine n-3 PUFAs have been most thoroughly evaluated and it is this topic that is the focus of this article."

Click here to do this Continuing Education activity.

Or, you might like to have a look at our other CE activities here .

AusPharm gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided by the sponsors of our CE program, MIMS.

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Median pharmacist's income is $110,000 : 28/07/2009 :

There was an interesting article in yesterday's Age/SMH - here's an extract.

"Jobs where pay is rising in the recession - people in some professions are earning more now than ever before. Here's who they are."

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Guild, PSA welcome NHHRC Report findings : 28/07/2009 :

Both the Guild and the PSA have welcomed the findings of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission report, Healthier Future for All Australians, released yesterday.

The Guild said it was pleased the report had no adverse comments on pharmacy and praised the priority given to electronic prescribing. PSA says it supports the focus on preventive health and urged the government to expand the role of pharmacists in multidisciplinary health-care teams, to improve their effectiveness.

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Coloxyl Drops 10 mls 8 hrly : 27/07/2009 :

This bub (DOB 25/9/08) must have *really* severe constipation.

PBS Schedule August 2009 : 27/07/2009 :

* Full PBS schedule
* Summary of changes

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More on CPD : 27/07/2009 :

We reported on Friday on the establishment of a working party to to consider the current varying approaches to continuing professional development (CPD) in Australia and to identify a set of common principles for consideration by the proposed national pharmacy board.

Well, commencing today our colleagues in the UK will be routinely asked to submit their CPD records for review and feedback. The introduction of regular call and review is associated with the publication in March of new CPD standards and guidance, under the Code of Ethics for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians.

A similar scheme has already been operating in Tasmania for some years. AusPharm thinks it likely that a 'call and review' process will also be part of the Australian CPD framework once the National Pharmacy Board is established in 2010.

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RGH E-Bulletin: Adverse effects of cholinesterase inhibitors : 27/07/2009 :

"The cholinesterase inhibitors (CIs) include donepezil (Aricept®); galantamine (Reminyl ®) and rivastigmine (Exelon®), and are currently the main pharmacological agents used in the management of mild to moderate cognitive symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease. They have only limited efficacy, and are associated with cons iderable risk of adverse effects."

Click here to read this E-Bulletin in full. The E-Bulletins are archived on the AusPharm website here.

Kidney Health Australia urges caution on NSAIDS : 27/07/2009 :

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Poll result: In negotiating past CPAs has the Pharmacy Guild delivered good outcomes for the profession as a whole? : 24/07/2009 :

(After excluding the 'Yawn' responses) 85% of Guild members responding to the poll thought that the Guild had mostly delivered good outcomes for the profession as a whole. However, only 44% of the other (non Guild member) respondents agreed with them. The 'correct' answer is probably somewhere in the middle.

As to whether the difference in perception between the two groups is brought about by pharmacy owners doing better out of the CPAs than employee pharmacists or by their greater knowledge of the CPAs (or some other issue entirely), we'll leave it to others to say!

15% of respondents chose the 'Yawn' option. Does this suggest that perhaps this is all just a distraction from more important things? (Raw poll data is here.)

Post a comment to AusPharmList.

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Genie set to launch eRx e-scripts for specialists Australia-wide : 24/07/2009 :

Genie Solutions will launch e-prescriptions to 1,600 GP and specialist practices around Australia, under a partnership with eRx Script Exchange announced yesterday. GPs and specialists in all areas of practice use Genie’s appointments, billing and clinical management software.

According to Graham Cunningham, Chairman, eRx Script Exchange, “Our partnership with Genie again demonstrates the industry-wide commitment behind the eRx Script Exchange platform and we are delighted  to now partner with them in extending the safety and efficiency benefits of eRx Script Exchange to specialists throughout Australia.”

CPD working party set up : 24/07/2009 :

The Australian Pharmacy Liaison Forum** (APLF) has established a working party to consider the current varying approaches to continuing professional development (CPD) and to identify a set of common principles for consideration by the proposed national pharmacy board.

The National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) to commence on 1 July 2010 contains a requirement for registrants to have participated in continuing professional development (CPD) programs.

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Stilnox has 'a similar effect to cocaine' : 24/07/2009 :

Get ready to fill lots of bogus Stilnox scripts as journalists talk up its "cocaine like" benefits. From today's Australian:

"Stilnox, found in the New York apartment of actor Heath Ledger when he died last year of a prescription drug overdose, has a similar effect to cocaine and other party drugs when it is combined with alcohol or energy drinks such as Red Bull."

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It's 'Wee week' : 23/07/2009 :

Kidney Health Australia’s “Wee Week”, which is being held from 19 – 25 July, aims to raise awareness about the importance of keeping healthy to avoid urinary tract infections (UTI) which can lead to chronic kidney disease and even kidney failure.

UTIs can differ in severity, and are treatable if detected early. Left untreated, they can cause lasting damage, chronic kidney disease, and even death from kidney failure.

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Which amount would you prefer? - $3,500 or $900? : 23/07/2009 :

It’s a big difference - $3,500 compared to $900. This is what you could be paid if you complete the registration process to participate in Phase 2 of the Dose Administration Aids (DAA) and Patient Medication Profile (PMP) programs.

The amount depends on whether you have registered and submitted your data in time.

31 July 2009 is the crucial date.

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PHARMeFOOTY weekly wrap : 22/07/2009 :

AFL Round 16 was a good one for tippers with 48 selecting all the 8 winners. Both Joss Beare from Blooms the Chemist and Matthew Will of Kingsmeadows Capital Chemist selected the same margin. Total Margin was the deciding factor and Joss came out on top with the lowest Total, Joss takes home the $50 from an unlucky Matthew in 2nd. Tom McCurdy from Cobram Pharmacy was close behind in 3rd place.

The Leaderboard stays the same with Mandy Patterson (supplier) still leading by 1 point from Robert Wood of Myrtleford Community Pharmacy holding on to 2nd place. In 3rd Jennifer Nelson from Coady`s Pharmacy and J Inglis from Kyneton District Health Service still holds onto 4th place. Time to attack in Round 17!

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Poll: In negotiating past CPAs has the Pharmacy Guild delivered good outcomes for the profession as a whole? : 22/07/2009 :

There has been plenty of discussion on AusPharmList recently about the Pharmacy Guild's exclusive right to negotiate with government for the next Community Pharmacy Agreement (CPA).

The Pharmacist's Division of APESMA has been vocal in the last week on this and the notion of other groups being more closely involved has been floated in the past.

Has the Guild delivered good outcomes for pharmacy as a whole in previous CPAs? What do you think? Please let us know by voting in today's poll below.

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