NPS continues to push antibiotic message : 30/06/2009 :

Health professionals are being given clear guidelines for prescribing particular antibiotics in different diagnostic scenarios in the latest National Prescribing Service (NPS) education program, Management of specific respiratory tract infections.

The therapeutic program aims to address inappropriate antibiotic use, particularly for treating acute bronchitis, sore throat and other respiratory tract infections, but also gives prescribers the facts to be confident prescribing symptomatic treatments.

“Prescribing for antibiotics in acute bronchitis continues, even though the illness is usually viral and antibiotics are only appropriate when a cough is the result of pneumonia or an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),” NPS Deputy CEO, Karen Kaye said.

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Roxon puts squeeze on chemists : 30/06/2009 :

Two week ago New Ltd's Sue Dunlevy had a go at pharmacy. Yesterday, pharmacy found itself on the front page of a Fairfax publication with the Financial Review's headline reading Roxon puts squeeze on chemists.

There was little new in the piece - it followed the usual theme that PBS costs were rising and that pharmacies were making windfall profits from generic discounts.

According to the Financial Review Health Minister Roxon and The Pharmacy Guild were at a stand off over negotiations for the 5th Agreement. However, a careful reading of the article revealed that the players were sticking to their usual scripts. Nicola Roxon was quoted as saying that 'The government will be carefully examining areas where the agreement could deliver taxpayers improved care and value for money" adding that "The government does not accept that taxpayer funds should help prop up profits particularly in the current environment."

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CHOICE confused on supermarkets : 29/06/2009 :

'Listers may have  seen Friday's news that the federal government has scrapped the planned Grocery Watch website just 5 days before its proposed launch. Consumer organisation CHOICE was running the site.

In a media release issued on Friday, CHOICE chief executive Nick Stace said:

"I am shocked and disappointed at the decision by the consumer minister to side with supermarkets rather than consumers. Supermarket prices are higher in Australia than many other developed countries and CHOICE agreed to deliver GroceryChoice because we believed we could make a difference for consumers.... "

Hold on a minute. Aren't these the same supermarkets that CHOICE is gunning for pharmacies to be deregulated into for a 'price advantage for consumers'?

RGH E-Bulletin: Medical records and adverse drug reactions : 29/06/2009 :

"Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality amongst hospital patients. Even relatively mild reactions may lead to significant patient distress, changes in therapy, symptomatic treatment, further investigations, and prolongation of hospital stay. Once a reaction is suspected, timely documentation of the ADR in the patient’s medical record in a way which ensures easy future reference can help to prevent similar reactions occurring in the future."

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

Employee pharmacist wages and conditions : 29/06/2009 :

In the wash up to last week's poll (In my opinion, employee (community) pharmacist wages and conditions are......) we said that we'd invite both the Pharmacists Division of APESMA (PDA) and the Pharmacy Guild to provide a comment on the poll outcome and on recent discussions on AusPharmList regarding employee pharmacist wages and conditions.

We publish today an article penned for us by PDA president Dr Geoff March.

Watch this space - we'll have a series of special articles on these issues for you in the next few days. While we've made today's article from Dr March available to all 'listers, both premium and basic level, those that follow in the next few days will be 'premium only'. 

Top Australian and international speakers for PAC : 29/06/2009 :

The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer of the Department of Health in Britain, Dr Keith William Ridge, will be among leading Australian and international professional identities speaking at the upcoming Pharmacy Australia Congress from 15-18 October in Sydney. Dr Ridge will join Professor Carol Armour and Professor Rob Horne to lead plenary sessions at the Congress.

Dr Ridge will speak on Lessons for Australia,  based on his experiences in the development and implementation of the pharmacy White Paper, Pharmacy in England: Building on Strengths, Delivering the Future, which sets out a clinical vision for pharmacy.  

This is a particularly timely area of expertise given the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s development of a Green Paper on the future of pharmacy, which will be the subject of an address at the Industry Forum by Dr Shane Jackson, The Green Paper and What Is Its Role.

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Mentoring for rural pharmacy interns and young pharmacists : 26/06/2009 :

The Pharmacy Guild is calling for tenders to undertake a project to examine a rural and remote mentoring system for pharmacy interns and young pharmacists. It will involve a literature review and development of a framework for a mentoring system.

The project is part of a wider project whose aim is to promote the delivery of quality pharmacy services to rural and remote communities through projects and research which address determined areas of need.

For full details see the Call for Applications in today's (e)news.

2009 PSA Excellence awards : 26/06/2009 :

Nominations for the prestigious 2009 Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Awards for Excellence are being called for with winners to be announced at the Pharmacy Congress Australia in October.

The PSA’s Pharmacist of the Year, Young Pharmacist of the Year and Lifetime Recognition Awards are regarded in the profession as pinnacles of achievement and are held in the highest esteem both within and outside the profession.

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Poll result: employee pharmacist wages and conditions : 26/06/2009 :

This week's poll asked 'listers what they thought of employee pharmacists wages and conditions (In my opinion, employee (community) pharmacist wages and conditions are:). The results are shown below. As with all polls there are numerous interpretations possible and we won't attempt an in depth analysis. 231 people voted in this poll and the raw data can be viewed here.

49% of responding employee pharmacists believe that wages and conditions are 'dreadful' compared to 18% of responding 'owners'.  On the other hand 8% of responding employee pharmacists believe that wages and conditions are 'good' compared to 42% of responding 'owners'. 43% of ALL respondents ticked the 'could be better' box.

We've asked the Pharmacist's Division of APESMA and the Pharmacy Guild to comment on the poll and, also, on the related recent AusPharmList discussion. Should they provide a response we'll publish that early next week.

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Sydney University - Materia Medica 1959 : 25/06/2009 :

50th year reunion to be held Friday 2nd October, 2009, at the Pharmacy School, Sydney University.

For further information, please forward your contact details to:

Mrs Laurice Jones (nee Evans)
PO Box 163,
Nth Strathfield NSW 2137
Ph: 02 9746 8239
Email: ljones@stvima.pyramai.net

PSA proposes uniform national framework for non medical health professional prescribing : 25/06/2009 :

Governments and health professionals across Australia need to give full and detailed consideration to granting pharmacists and other non-medical health professionals the right to prescribe medications, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia said yesterday.

President of the PSA, Warwick Plunkett, said that some non-medical health professions have already been granted prescribing rights and it was time that this right was also granted to pharmacists. Mr Plunkett said pharmacists were ideally placed to prescribe because of their detailed knowledge of medications and their face-to-face interaction with consumers.

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Australia's aged care facility population : 24/06/2009 :

Statistics released last week by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show that there were around 175,500 residential aged care beds in operation in Australia at the end of June 2008.

This represents 87.7 places for every 1,000 people aged 70 years and older.

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Poll: employee pharmacist working conditions : 24/06/2009 :

There has been quite a bit of discussion on AusPharmList over the last week or two about employee pharmacist wages and conditions in community pharmacy (eg here and here).

While there is no doubt great variety in wages and conditions throughout the industry this week's poll aims to get some sense of what it's like out there for employee pharmacists at the coalface.

Please tick the box that works for you in today's AusPharm poll below.

PSA: Industry should assist in re-scheduling education programs : 24/06/2009 :

In its submission to the Therapeutic Goods Administration on the proposed Scheduling Policy Framework and Standard for Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) called for industry to play a greater role in the education of pharmacists and consumers when products are downscheduled. At present, industry participation in education programs is voluntary.

In its submission PSA highlighted the role it had played in education programs following downshcheduling in the past, notably for fluconazole, orlistat, levonorgestrel and pantoprazole; and OTC codeine medicines.

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PHARMeFOOTY weekly wrap : 24/06/2009 :

AFL Round 12 was another easy week with 31 tippers selecting all the 8 winners. Lea Secomb from Neon Cosmetics was closest to the margin and becomes this weeks $50 winner, well done Lea. In second place was Dean Pollock of Wadleys Discount Drug Store with Kelly Baldwin from Lauderdale Pharmacy in 3rd place.

The Leaderboard sees Jennifer Nelson of Coady`s Pharmacy take over the #1 position with Stefan Andrasek of Echuca Hospital equal on points in 2nd place. Chris Warne of Beaconsfield Pharmacy holds outright 3rd with Phil Shay from East Geelong Discount Drug Store in 4th place. Get lucky in Round 13!

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Friendly Societies sign on to eRx Script Exchange : 23/06/2009 :

The Australian Friendly Societies Pharmacies Association yesterday reached agreement to provide the Association's member pharmacies with access to e-scripts through eRx Script Exchange.

Under the agreement, AFSPA has funded half a million transactions on eRx Script Exchange, the first Australiawide platform for e-scripts.  

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Smith Family Chair joins Guild Lawyers : 23/06/2009 :

Guild Lawyers has recently secured the services of John Kelly, as a consultant. Mr Kelly's principal area of practice is in the health, not-for-profit and aged care sectors. He is currently Chairman of The Smith Family and has been involved for the past 20 years in numerous health related, commercial, not-for-profit, and government Boards.

Mr Kelly was recently recognised for his significant contributions for services to the community in areas of nursing and aged care policy and in healthcare management when he was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Queens Birthday Honours List.

He holds an Adjunct Professorial position in the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Health at the University of Technology as well as an Adjunct Associate Professorial role in the Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery at the University of Sydney. 

Pharmacists’ Support Service: Guild Group jumps on board : 23/06/2009 :

Specialist pharmacy insurance, financial and professional services provider, the Guild Group, has announced it will contribute $10,000 towards the Pharmacists’ Support Service (PSS).

The funds are part of a drive to expand the PSS from a Victorian-based service to a national service to benefit pharmacist across the country. PSS has been assisting Victorian pharmacists since 1995 by providing telephone counselling and support to distressed pharmacists.

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CMIs: take another look says Guild : 23/06/2009 :

The Pharmacy Guild is encouraging pharmacies to "re-visit and refresh the [CMI] protocols' in their pharmacies. It has developed a CMI resource page from which a range of support materials can be downloaded. The webpage contains two short videos of CMI encounters with pharmacists.

The CMI resource page is here. Click below to hear Guild President Kos Sclavos on CMIs.

RGH E-Bulletin: Neuramidase inhibitors and H1 N1 influenza 09 : 22/06/2009 :

"Current health guidelines suggest the use of neuraminidase inhibitors for the treatment and control of the H1N1 InfluenzaA 09 (human swine flu) pandemic."

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

Click here to go to the old "Industry News" page (pre 01/09/2006).