PAC12 poster and oral presentation abstracts deadline extended : 01/06/2012 :

As a result of an overwhelming response, organisers of PAC12 have extended the deadline for abstracts for poster and oral presentations from researchers and practitioners working in pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical science to 1 July 2012.

Following the success of the PAC 11 poster presentations, the Congress Organising Committee is seeking submissions addressing pharmacy research and practice pearl (sharing the practice experience without necessarily having undertaken structured research activities).

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GuildCare and Boehringer Ingelheim partner in new pharmacy programs : 01/06/2012 :

GuildCare and Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) have joined forces to deliver Compliance and New-To-Therapy health services for patients who have been prescribed BI products Micardis or Twynsta.

“When selecting industry partnerships, the primary consideration is whether the two parties working together can unite to provide better health outcomes as opposed to working alone, and we believe these programs pass that test admirably,” Mr Gallagher said.

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AusPharm CE: RGH E-Bulletin Digest No. 47. : 31/05/2012 :

The next in our 2012 series of continuing education activities is the RGH E-Bulletin Digest No. 467

This CE activity assesses your understanding of four recent RGH Pharmacy E-Bulletins (Volumes 45-10 - 46-1  --> April 2012).

After completing this activity, pharmacists should be able to:

• Discuss the clinical pharmacology of ticagrelor
• Outline the characteristics and management of postural hypotension
• Understand recent changes to labelling requirements for statins, in line with FDA requirements
• Describe the theoretical and clinical basis for a possible interaction between triptans and SSRIs

This activity has been accredited for 1 group 2 CPD credits suitable for inclusion in an individual pharmacist’s CPD plan. Accreditation number: CX120022E.

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

AusPharm gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided by MIMS.

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Guild Pharmacy Academy's National Convention & Exhibition: Registration now open : 31/05/2012 :

The Guild Pharmacy Academy's National Convention & Exhibition for 2012 will be launched by free Business Stream and Plenary on Friday 15th.

The Plenary session ‘Surviving the Economic Winter’ will be presented by keynote speaker, Paul Clitheroe and include a guest panel including: Kos Scalvos, Paul Sinclair, Niels Bowen, Jannette Cotterell, Craig Kelly, Anthony Hamilton, Debbie Rigby and Dr John D’Arcy.

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Australian research shows screening for bowel cancer will save lives : 31/05/2012 :

The country’s second most common cause of cancer deaths, killing 80 people each week, can be treated successfully if caught early, according to new Australian research.

The research provides the first concrete evidence that early detection from bowel cancer screening is critical, as it correlates with an improved prognosis for this perilous yet preventable disease.

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ACT PSA president appointed to clinical senate : 31/05/2012 :

The President of the ACT Branch of PSA, Professor Gabrielle Cooper, has been appointed to the Local Lead Clinicians Group, known as the ACT Clinical Senate. 

The Senate has been established to provide a forum for a multidisciplinary group of clinicians, health experts and consumers with diverse perspectives to share their collective knowledge in discussing strategic clinical issues and to make recommendations to improve the health outcomes of ACT residents.

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Pharma group launches 'consumer friendly' guide to quality use of medicines : 30/05/2012 :

Medicines Australia has launched a new booklet which sets out the medicines industry’s role in encouraging the quality use of medicines.

‘Quality Use of Medicines’ is the term to describe choosing a suitable medicine, using medicines safely and effectively to get the best possible results and selecting management options wisely, says Medicines Australia.

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New SHPA CEO appointed : 30/05/2012 :

Helen Dowling, pictured right, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA), and will commence with the Society in July 2012.

Helen has been the District Director of Pharmacy for the Hunter New England Local Health District since 2008, and previously was the Director of Pharmacy at the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, NSW. 

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PHARMeFOOTY weekly wrap : 30/05/2012 :

AFL Round 9

Round 9 of the 2012 AFL season commenced with the Bulldogs and the Cats fighting it out at Etihad Stadium, however the Cats pulled it together to win. Other highlights of the round included the Tigers thrashing the Hawks by an epic 62 point, the Power lighting up Metricon Stadium to hand the Suns a 48 point defeat, the Saints defeating the Swans by 28 points and Essendon proving to powerful for Kevin Sheedy's GWS Giants defeating them by 66 points.

NRL - Round 12

Round 12 of the 2012 NRL season saw the Storm defeat the Broncos at AAMI Park to win 34-10 and many other interesting outcomes. Highlights for this week included the Rabbitohs doubling the score of the Roosters defeating them 36-18, the Titans defeating the Knights 24-14 at Hunter Stadium and the Dragons narrowly defeating the Eels to take the win 14-12.

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Poll: My pharmacy (department)'s principal supplier of generic prescription medications is.... : 30/05/2012 :

Back in 2007 we ran a poll to determine what market share each of the generic suppliers had. That poll told us that, in 2007, Alphapharm had just over a third of the market and led the pack. 5 years on, no doubt things will have changed.

Who is your pharmacy (department)'s principal supplier of prescription generic medications? Please let us know by voting in this week's AusPharm poll.

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Industry disputes calcium cardiac risk finding : 29/05/2012 :

The Australian Self-Medication Industry (ASMI), the industry body representing consumer healthcare products, said yesterday that a study recently published in the journal, Heart, which found that taking calcium calcium supplements nearly doubles the risk of having a heart attack, contained a number of deficiencies which place a question over the strength and validity of its conclusions.

ASMI Regulatory and Scientific Affairs Director, Steven Scarff, said that there was good evidence that calcium supplements reduced the risk of fractures and hence played a useful role in the treatment of osteoporosis and that the association with heart disease remained controversial.

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CPE expo 2012 a resounding success : 29/05/2012 :

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) says that it is delighted with the success of its first Clinical and Practice Expo (CPExpo) held in Sydney at the weekend.
 
PSA’s NSW President, Professor Charlie Benrimoj, said that the event attracted more than 1,100 delegates and exhibitors.

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Review of PBS listed anti-dementia drugs : 29/05/2012 :

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) has commissioned a new Review of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme anti-dementia drugs to treat Alzheimers Disease, and is inviting submissions to the Review.

According the the PBAC, an initial review of cholinesterase inhibitors to treat Alzheimers disease in 2010/11 indicated that these medicines were being prescribed to a much larger population for longer periods of time than was originally agreed as cost-effective by the PBAC. In March 2012, to ensure these medicines continue to be used appropriately and to ensure their ongoing cost-effectiveness, the PBAC recommended a post-market review of all PBS listed anti-dementia drugs.

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NPS launches Prescribing Competencies Framework : 29/05/2012 :

A new competency framework outlining the skills, knowledge and behaviours required for safe and effective prescribing was launched by NPS last week at the 2012 National Medicines Symposium in Sydney.
 
The framework was developed following 12 months of consultation with health professionals and representative groups from around Australia.

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‘What works’ in Indigenous school health, sexual health programs : 29/05/2012 :

According to a paper released today by the Closing the Gap Clearinghouse, school-based health education programs can help ‘close the gap’ between young Indigenous people and other young Australians.

The paper, Engaging Indigenous students through school-based health education, suggests the most effective health education programs for young Indigenous Australians are those that are embedded in the core school curriculum, provided by trained and well-resourced teachers, and informed by parents, community members and local health professionals.

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PBS costs flatline : 28/05/2012 :

PBS numbers for April 2012, just released by Medicare, show that costs remain contained.

In April 2012 16.1 million PBS/RPBS scripts with a government reimbursement value of $688 million were dispensed across the country. This represents a decline of 0.6% on the 2011 figures of 16.2 million items and an increase of 1.6% in the 2011 dollar spend of $677 million.

The graph below depicts actual dollars for the last 6 months, un-adjusted for CPI increases.

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Medscheck programs on track for a July 1 start : 28/05/2012 :

The MedsCheck and Diabetes MedsCheck programs, funded  under the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement (5CPA) and piloted in 276 pharmacies since last year, is on track for a national rollout of the two in-pharmacy services on July 1.

These are new medication management, professional services, with remuneration on a fee-for-service basis - all community pharmacies should be able to participate as no additional pharmacist accreditation is required. 

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Swisse advertising ban ruling thrown out : 28/05/2012 :

In a decision handed down on Friday, a Federal Court Judge has overturned a March 2012 Complaints Resolution Panel (CRP) finding that resulted in the Swisse vitamin company being told to withdraw a series of ads it was running which claimed that "You'll feel better on Swisse".

Following the CRP ruling, a Swisse spokesperson said "Swisse has expressed its strong disagreement at the recent decision of the Complaints Resolutions Panel. Swisse considers that the review process leading to the decision was fundamentally flawed and is contesting the findings vigorously through appropriate channels."

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Extra care needed with palliative care medications : 28/05/2012 :

Health professionals need to be vigilant to the symptom cascades that can arise in palliative care settings due to adverse effects of medicines, delegates to last week's NPS National Medicines Symposium heard.
 
Presenter Debra Rowett, who has a special interest in pharmacovigilance, said the medicine regime often becomes much more complex as patients near the end of their lives, when symptom control medicines are added to medicines for long term co-morbid disease.

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National Medicinewise award winners announced at NMS 2012 : 28/05/2012 :

The winners of the 2012 National MedicineWise Awards were announced at last week's NPS National Medicines Symposium by Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, Catherine King and NPS CEO, Dr Lynn Weekes.

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