Win a motza: what do pharmacists do? : 11/04/2012 :

Around and about on the web there are a number of 'What I do' pictorial summaries like this one (click the image for a larger version).

AusPharm doesn't think this one is terribly good and certainly doesn't capture 'Australian' pharmacy. We think there is certain to be a 'lister out there who can produce a good, Australian version.

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Growth in Australia’s mental health workforce : 11/04/2012 :

According to new figures released last week by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), the mental health workforce in Australia is growing.

The latest workforce information on the AIHW’s Mental Health Services in Australia website (available here) shows the number of psychiatrists (including psychiatrists-in-training) per 100,000 people increased at an average yearly rate of 1.4% between 2005 and 2009.

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Poll: wholesaler performance post post April 1 : 11/04/2012 :

A news item on AusPharm today has it that the CSO wholesalers performed well under pressure last week, following the April 1 PBS price reductions and the ensuing order surge on Monday, April 2. On a related note however, a few 'listers have reported widespread 'out of stocks' last week.

How did your pharmacy's main wholesaler perform last week? Please let us know by ticking the relevant box in today's AusPharm online poll.

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Wholesalers trumpet value of CSO : 11/04/2012 :

Calling the Community Service Obligation (CSO) a “wonderful example” of effective health policy, wholesalers say it was responsible for the fact that there was minimal disruption to pharmacy deliveries following the April 1 PBS price cuts and the ensuing order surges on Monday, April 2. More than 4 million therapeutic items were delivered to pharmacies that day by wholesalers.

They say the well planned and executed response to the widely anticipated spike in orders was made possible by the infrastructure and redundancy arrangements established
under their CSO agreement with the Federal Government.

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PHARMeFOOTY weekly wrap : 11/04/2012 :

AFL Round 2

Round 2 of the 2012 AFL season saw Carlton travel up to the Lion’s Den and have an outstanding victory against the Brisbane Lions. Particularly notable this week were the Kangaroos demolition of the GWS Giants, Essendon defeating Port Adelaide, Collingwood getting over the line to defeat a determined Richmond side and Geelong narrowly defeating Hawthorn by a mere margin of two points.

NRL Round 6

Round 6 of the 2012 NRL season saw the Rabbitoh’s defeat the Bulldogs at Mt Smart Stadium and many other exciting results. Highlights for this week included the Broncos narrowly defeating the West Tigers in a close match, the Sharks defeating a scoreless Dragons side, the Storm defeating the Cowboys by a fair margin and the Sea Eagles defeating the Panthers thirty to nil.

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On the Record : 11/04/2012 :

The federal government has published the first in a series of updates on the progress of the national personally controlled electronic health record system.

On the Record will be published monthly and will provide news and updates on the development and rollout of the national eHealth record system.

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April issue of Medicines Safety Update now available : 10/04/2012 :

The April 2012 issue of Medicines Safety Update is now available on the TGA website.

Items covered in the April issue are:

• Change in the pregnancy category for topiramate
• Use of 2012 seasonal influenza vaccines in children
• Dasatinib (Sprycel) and pulmonary arterial hypertension
• Pulmonary oedema associated with topical phenylephrine

It's online here.

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Ethics awards for pharmaceutical representatives : 10/04/2012 :

Fourteen medical sales representatives from the Australian medicines industry received awards at a ceremony in Sydney last week for achieving the best marks in their compulsory ethics education program.

Medicines Australia chief executive Dr Brendan Shaw said the mandatory program, delivered by Medicines Australia and the University of Tasmania, demonstrated the medicines industry’s commitment to ethical conduct.

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Guild rejects union claims on application to vary award : 10/04/2012 :

The Pharmacy Guild has rejected outright union claims that its March 6 submission to Fair Work Australia seeking to have sections of the Pharmacy Industry Award 2010 amended is a ploy to legitimise underpayments to pharmacists.

Pharmacists would have their pay cut if the submission gets up, says employee pharmacist union APESMA.

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Marked increase in child asthma deaths : 10/04/2012 :

Parents and carers of children with asthma are being urged to take note of new data which reveals asthma-related deaths among under 15 year olds have more than doubled since 2006.

The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics’ data recorded 17 deaths in 2009/10 for children under 15 years compared to seven deaths in 2005/06.

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Weekend educational feast at CPExpo : 10/04/2012 :

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s exciting new pharmacy professional development and practice support event will feature weekend programs allowing delegates to make the most of the educational opportunities being presented.
 
Clinical and Practice Expo 2012 (CPExpo) offers the latest in research and health care at an affordable price, presented by leading clinical experts, with the three-day education program consisting of five diverse and exciting streams covering 51 topics over 80 sessions. Delegates can earn up to 34 Group 2 CPD credits. 

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RGH E-Bulletin: Postural hypotension : 10/04/2012 :

The topic of this week's RGH E‑Bulletin is Postural hypotension.

"Postural hypotension is defined as a drop in systolic blood pressure of 20mmHg or diastolic blood pressure of 10mmHg within three minutes of standing. Not only is postural hypotension dangerous because of an increased risk of falls, but it is also a risk factor for stroke and myocardial infarction. Postural hypotension is commonly experienced in the elderly, due to decreased baroreceptor activity, reduced salt and water conservation, increased arterial stiffness, diastolic dysfunction, and also reduced parasympathetic response. The elderly are also more likely to be affected by diseases that are associated with postural hypotension, such as Parkinson’s disease and diabetes. Likewise, they are also more likely to be taking medications that can contribute to postural drop, including diuretics, antihypertensives, alpha adrenergic blockers, antipsychotics, and vasodilators."

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

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Would you like one of AusPharm's new 'stay hot' coffee cups? : 10/04/2012 :

Over the weekend, AusPharm finally sorted out the IT issues that have been preventing 'listers from uploading their posts to AusPharmList online (both new posts and replies).

To encourage you to post online, for the next four days (Tuesday to Friday), we're offering one of our new 'stay hot' coffee cups for the 'lister whose post (submitted online) is chosen as Post of the Day.

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Responsible dispensing of generic medicines : 05/04/2012 :

Reports that pharmacists may possibly be dispensing a “pharmacy-preferred brand” of generic drugs without proper consultation with the patient would be contravening the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s Guidelines on Brand Substitution, guidelines which all pharmacists are expected to follow, says PSA President Grant Kardachi.

“These guidelines were set up to protect the best interests of consumers when non-brand medicines are dispensed,” Mr Kardachi said.

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Review of Anticoagulation Therapies in Atrial Fibrillation: submissions published : 05/04/2012 :

In September 2011 Emeritus Professor Lloyd Sansom AO, the former Chair of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), was commissioned to conduct a review to inform the Government on options for the use of anticoagulation therapies, including optimising the use of currently available treatments  as well as the future role of newer therapies for the treatment of atrial fibrillation.

This followed the deferral of the PBS listing of Pradaxa after it had been approved for listing by the PBAC.

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Anonymous (?) union petition : 05/04/2012 :

Employee pharmacist union APESMA has launched an online petition calling on the Fair Work Ombudsman to conduct an Australia-wide wages audit of pharmacies.

This follows the findings of a recent audit of Queensland pharmacies that uncovered numerous instances of non compliance with the award. These were subsequently downplayed by the Pharmacy Guild, who said that most contraventions appeared to have been inadvertent with a significant number (9 per cent)  non-monetary and relating to record keeping.

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Media misreporting on PBS price cuts caused grief for some : 05/04/2012 :

The confused, ill informed and, at times, downright misleading, portrayal by the mainstream media of the April 1 PBS price reductions caused significant grief for about 1/3 of pharmacists who voted in the is week's AusPharm online poll. One in five pharmacists (18%) told us that customer response to the misinformation had been a 'major pain in the ar*e'.

Many thanks to Stuart Baker for producing a brief, clear and factual consumer guide to share with 'listers.

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Priceline rolling out flu clinic again in 2012 : 04/04/2012 :

As part of promoting its 2012 in-store flu clinics, the Priceline group is highlighting the results of an online survey it conducted which shows limited understanding amongst consumers of the role of vaccines in preventing flu.

The survey found that many people avoid regular flu vaccinations instead relying on garlic, chicken soup, multi-vitamins and hand sanitiser to protect themselves against the flu. According to the company, many Australians could do with a healthy dose of the facts along with their garlic, echinacea and vitamin C.

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Pharmacy Board releases CPD FAQ : 04/04/2012 :

Do you need advice on how to meet your Continuing Professional Development obligations?

The Pharmacy Board of Australia yesterday published a comprehensive set of Frequently Asked Questions on Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The 36 questions and answers cover all aspects of CPD including what you need to do to satisfy the Board`s requirements, what `relevant CPD` means, how to record your CPD and pretty much anything else you can think of.

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Reporting adverse drug reactions : 04/04/2012 :

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has produced a brochure for health professionals, including pharmacist, that is designed to encourage them to report adverse reactions to drugs.

As ’listers would know, the safety of medicines is monitored to contribute to a better understanding of their possible adverse effects when they are used outside the controlled conditions of clinical trials. Suspected adverse reactions reported by health professionals provide important information for the TGA’s safety monitoring program.

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