Pies warm not hot favourites to win AFL GF : 24/09/2010 :

Amongst the surprisingly small sample for yesterday's AFL Grand Final poll (we thought *all* Australians were footy mad) the feeling is that Collingwood are the likely winners of tomorrow's 2010 AFL Grand Final. 2/3 of poll respondents tipped the Pies to win with 38% of all respondents tipping them to win by more than 20 points.

The bookies have Collinwood installed as warm favourites with Centrebet offering $2.84 for a Collingwood victory and $1.44 for a St Kilda victory.

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Mediflags relaunches with a bang : 23/09/2010 :

Medication review software MediFlags recently announced a major upgrade and restructuring of its product range that will see subscribers gain access to a range of Australian Medicines Handbook (AMH) online references in addition to the clinical information already available through the program. MediFlags is produced by AMH. 

Speaking at a function in Adelaide to launch the upgrade, AMH chairman Mr Tony Nunan said  that the Commonwealth’s medication review program has been one of the great success stories of Australian health policy in the last decade.

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ACT Health Minister gets an eRx demonstration : 23/09/2010 :

ACT Health Minister, Katy Gallagher, recently visited ACT Branch Guild President Amanda Galbraith’s pharmacy in Chisholm A.C.T. for a demonstration of eRx, the electronic prescribing system. David Freemantle from eRx provided the demonstration.

Pictured below (L to R) are Fred eHealth General Manager David Freemantle with Minister Gallagher and Amanda Galbraith.

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Poll: what do you think the outcome of this Saturday's AFL Grand Final will be? : 23/09/2010 :

It's that time of year again... a certain fever is circulating the nation as footy finals come to town. This weekend it's the turn of the AFL. Can the famous Collingwood overcome their history of "Colliwobbles"? Or will St Kilda be the ones to acquire silverware for only a second time in their proud history?

Will Collingwood prove that any team that can humiliate Geelong to make the Grand Final can certainly overcome St Kilda? Will Collingwood win their first premiership in 20 years after a tough battle with a spirited St Kilda.

Or will St Kilda surprise everyone, including their own fans, and give Collingwood a footy lesson? Maybe St Kilda will just manage to show that fairytales do come true for underdogs and scrape home to win only the second flag in their proud history.

Have a punt on AusPharm, and we'll report the results on Friday morning.

What do you think the outcome of this Saturday's AFL Grand Final will be?

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With regard to pharmacy locations, what does 'the country' mean to you? : 23/09/2010 :

The results of this week's poll, about where AusPharmlisters think 'the country' is, were a bit of a mixed bag. The bulk of voters consider 'the country' to be in a rural community (63%), but half of those chose the option that includes regional cities such as Wagga or Launceston. Amongst the outlying voters a small portion (13%) consider any pharmacy outside a capital city to be a country pharmacy.

The poll results reflect how subjective and relative a term such as 'the country' is, rather than being an absolute. Being specific about locations is one way to make it clearer as to whether a type of pharmacy is metropolitan, urban, rural or remote, or a shade in between.

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AusPharm CE: Hormone therapy : 23/09/2010 :

The latest AusPharm CE topic is Hormone therapy - it's been put together for us by Debbie Rigby.

"Understanding the risks and benefits of post-menopausal hormone therapy (HT) is a complex area with significant shifts in the evidence over the last twenty years. Since the 1960s oestrogen has been prescribed as an effective treatment for vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause. It is interesting to reflect on the early marketing of the then-called hormone replacement therapy where it was viewed as a revolutionary breakthrough for women."

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 the sponsors of our CE program, MIMS.

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Preventing Cardiovascular disease in Australian Pharmacy - What can we do now? : 22/09/2010 :

There are many opportunities for community pharmacists in the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CDV) and the management of risk factors for CVD.
 
A special session at PAC10 this year will be Screening and Early Detection Services in Pharmacy in Australia – What We Can Do Now in Cardiovascular Disease, presented by Kevin McNamara from Monash University.
 
“There is much evidence from Australia and internationally to demonstrate that community pharmacists can deliver effective interventions for many individual risk factors, as well as early detection and awareness,” Mr McNamara said.

“In recent years, a holistic approach involving the concurrent assessment and management of multiple CVD risk factors is increasingly acknowledged as best practice.

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CPD FAQs issued by peak body : 22/09/2010 :

Just about every provider of pharmacy Continuing Education, including AusPharm, has had a go at explaining what they think the new CPD requirements are under the Pharmacy Board of Australia's recently issued guidelines.

Yesterday, the Australian Pharmacy Liaison Forum (APLF) moved to end confusion caused by differing interpretations of the requirements being available by releasing a list of  frequently asked questions (FAQs) it has developed with the intent that no matter where pharmacists are accessing CPD support or information the same answers are available to a set of ‘standard’ and actually ‘frequently asked questions’.

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Pharmacist prescribing models - a world of options : 21/09/2010 :

UQ Assoc Prof Lisa Nissen will be presenting at PAC10 on a topic of keen interest to pharmacists seeking to maintain their professional edge. The session - entitled Pharmacist Prescribing - Optometrists, Nurses and Podiatrists Are Doing It, So How Close Are we? - will look at the current non-medical prescribing evidence and how it has been applied to the advancement of pharmacist prescribing in Australia.

Australia faces the challenge of the demands of an increasingly aged population outstripping available health resources.

“Other countries including the UK, Canada and the USA have moved to address similar health system issues by expanding the roles for existing health professionals, including nurse practitioners, optometrists, podiatrists and pharmacists,” Dr Nissen said. “This expansion has been particularly focused on providing access to prescription medicines.  There are many models of non-medical prescribing available and a number of health professional groups who have stepped up to the challenge."

Learn more about the different models for pharmacist prescribing by attending PAC10 in Melbourne, 28-31 October.

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RGH E-Bulletin: Intravesical therapy for interstitial cystitis : 21/09/2010 :

The topic of this week's RGH E‑Bulletin is Intravesical therapy for interstitial cystitis

"Interstitial cystitis, or painful bladder syndrome, is a chronic disease with multiple proposed etiologies and can be difficult to treat. This has been described in a previous e-bulletin (Volume 17(9): April 4, 2005). Symptoms of interstitial cystitis (urinary urgency, frequency and pain) can be controlled with several different classes of oral medications including pentosan polysulfate (only oral drug approved in Australia for this indication), amitriptyline, hydroxyzine and others. Intravesical therapies are available and may be used for patients who cannot achieve adequate symptom control with oral therapy."

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

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Poll: what constitutes a country pharmacy to you? : 21/09/2010 :

There has been some lively discussion recently on AusPharmList of the virtues and otherwise of working in either "the country" or "the city". There are many places in the middle that are not quite as clear cut as being all country or all city, especially given the greater access afforded many areas by improved transport, roads, telecoms and the advent of the internet.

We are told that there are plenty of job opportunities for the right pharmacist in "the country" or in "the bush".

With regard to pharmacy locations, what does "the country" or "the bush" mean to you?

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Research into HMRs confirms economic benefit : 21/09/2010 :

Pharmacy practice research conducted by UTas under the 4th CPA, has found that HMRs are a cost effective way of saving health resources and improving patients' quality of life.

In particular the VALMER study findings highlight that HMRs are most useful when community pharmacies identify particular patients likely to benefit e.g. those at high risk of adverse drug events. Targeted management of these patients with improved patient medication management, knowledge and compliance produced positive and cost-effective outcomes.

While this research had limitations, it was anticipated that further research over a longer period than 12 months and with greater assessment of the value of counselling provided during HMR interviews, would provide an even stronger economic case in support of HMRs.

The researchers recommended that resources be developed for accredited pharmacists to ensure that HMRs meet the expectations of GPs and patients, with an increased focus on individualising patient therapy.

The Pharmacy Guild has published this report, along with results of other R&D funded under the 4th CPA, on their website.

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Glucosamine fails the test : 21/09/2010 :

A meta analysis published in last week's BMJ has concluded that, compared with placebo, glucosamine, chondroitin, and their combination do not reduce arthritic pain. The meta analysis also concluded that there was no effect on the progressive narrowing of the joint space as arthritis progresses.

The authors recommend that health authorities and health insurers should not cover the costs of these preparations, and new prescriptions to patients who have not received treatment should be discouraged.

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Ask R U OK ? : 21/09/2010 :

Following its successful launch in 2009, R U OK? will be running a further day of action in 2010 on 7 October, aiming to increase awareness of depression and encourage conversation to steer people toward support and help.

R U OK? is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that aims to give national focus and leadership for ending suicide, by empowering Australians to make a difference, encouraging open and honest communication and driving real connection.

In 2010, R U OK's key message is that in the time it takes to have a coffee you can start a conversation that could change a life. This year's awareness campaign is focused on workplaces, given that many Australians spend much of their time at work.

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Self Care program developments : 20/09/2010 :

PSA's Self Care Program is continuing to expand and develop with a number of exciting innovations due to come on stream in the next few months.

The Self Care program, Australia's leading health information and education program for pharmacy, is designed to give member pharmacies a competitive and professional edge over competitors, while providing customers with  services and advice that is second to none.

Among recent initiatives, the Self Care program has launched its new pharmacy membership package which provides more value to members, greater access to the program’s resources and encourages greater use of the program’s key resources. The new pharmacy membership package makes the program more economical in an increasingly competitive health information and health education environment.

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University of Sydney Anniversary Celebration for Pharmacy Faculty : 20/09/2010 :

The Faculty of Pharmacy invites former students and staff to join them in celebrating ten years as a Faculty, and 111 years of pharmacy education at the University of Sydney. A formal dinner will be held in the MacLaurin Hall on Thurs 7 October 2010 at 7pm, with live music, key speakers and pharmacy trivia!

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Pharmacists finding solutions for patients with pain : 19/09/2010 :

Pain is a natural consequence of tissue injury and is one of the most common reasons for a patient to seek medical care and in Australia there are more than a million people living with pain each day.  It has been reported that at any one time between 20-30 per cent of the population may be experiencing chronic pain, while almost all of us will experience it at some point over our lifetime.

The importance of pharmacists finding solutions for patients with pain will be examined by Dr Lisa Nissen in the PAC10 advanced clinical session on pain.

Dr Nissen, an Associate Professor in the University of Queensland, said the term "pain" was used to describe the signalling system involved in the physical response to a painful stimulation together with the cognitive, emotional and behavioural actions that occur as a result of this stimulation.

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Summary produced of 4th CPA funded pharmacy practice R&D projects : 17/09/2010 :

An overview and summary of the findings of the 24 pharmacy practice research projects funded under the 4th CPA has been published in a resource document by the Pharmacy Guild.

Explaining the importance of continued funding for this type of research under the 5th CPA, Kos Sclavos said “the Fourth Agreement R&D Program focused on conducting research in the ‘real world’ of community pharmacy, with a strong emphasis on the use of new technologies and pharmacist expertise to build on the strength of community pharmacy."

The publication is called The Fourth Community Pharmacy Agreement Research and Development Program: Overview and Findings. It's available here (bottom of the page).

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Should a direct referral model for HMRs be implemented? : 17/09/2010 :

This week's poll results are clearly in favour of adding direct remuneration of pharmacists to the existing HMR model  (67%), with a further 25% feeling that direct referral should be the only remuneration avenue.

Perhaps if the merits of retaining payment through pharmacies had been more clearly espoused in the preamble to the poll, the results would have been different. AusPharm would be interested in seeing this discussed further on AusPharmList.

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New medicines: PAC10 to summarise significant recent releases : 16/09/2010 :

One of the final sessions of PAC210 in Melbourne this year will also be one of the most important for pharmacists trying to keep abreast of fast-changing developments in medicines.

A session titled New Drugs - A Summary of Recent Releases will be presented on Sunday afternoon, October 31, by Honorary Associate professor Luis Roller from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Monash University.

The session will deal with the modes of action, evidence for efficacy,  indications, contraindications, adverse reactions, drug interactions, dose forms, doses, place in therapy and counselling points of eight recently released or about-to-be-released medicines.

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