Marketing for pharmacists at PAC10 : 01/09/2010 :

Strategic planning is considered by some pharmacists to be an issue 'for the future', or one that is too difficult or best left to over-paid consultants. Strong marketing relies on sound strategic planning and PAC10 will present a special breakfast session to introduce delegates to the key concepts which are essential for the development of valuable practical marketing strategies.

Marketing for Pharmacists, on Sunday October 31, will be an interactive, practically oriented session, where presenter Professor Lesley White will lead discussion on the components of a marketing plan and how each can optimally be developed.

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APESMA seminar on workplace bullying - obligations & rights : 31/08/2010 :

APESMA are conducting an evening seminar in Melbourne on legal obligations and rights in relation to workplace bullying. The seminar will cover:

• What is workplace bullying
• What can be done about it
• What you can do to assist a colleague being bullied
• What obligation is on managers to detect and prevent Workplace Bullying?
• Recent cases

The seminar will be presented by APESMA's national legal officer, Joseph Kelly. APESMA members are welcome to bring guests.

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Facebook for pharmacists - what's the big deal? : 31/08/2010 :

A recent article in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association gives a useful explanation of what the social media 'Facebook' is, how it works, and hints at the potential it offers pharmacists and pharmacy organisations.

The article begins with an introduction for those pharmacists who are novices to the concept of Facebook, or other social networking internet sites such as LinkedIn and MySpace, but feel it might be time to understand exactly what it's about. Beyond the personal social networking benefits of Facebook, some potential professional benefits are identified however these are generic and not specific to pharmacy. 

While identifying topline generic applications of Facebook for professionals such as pharmacists and their organisations, the article concludes that further research is required to really determine how useful online social networking applications could be to the pharmacy profession.

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No surprises in July PBS numbers : 31/08/2010 :

PBS figures for July 2010 have been released by Medicare Australia.

Script numbers were up 6% compared to July 2009 with absolute dollars up by 12%.

Calendar year to date figures show a decline in script numbers of 0.3% and growth in dollar terms of 6.0%.

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Shades of 1989 : 31/08/2010 :

In 1989, before the stop works meetings Canberra pharmacists had a large poster done which we all displayed which said:

"The Government is trying to close THIS PHARMACY" with an appropriate illustration.

This poster, Spain, today.

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PSA intern training program a hit in Tassie : 31/08/2010 :

An information session in Tasmania explaining the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s National Intern Training Program (NITP) has resulted in a 100% response from pharmacy students keen to join the program.

The NITP is designed to maximise the career opportunities of young pharmacists as they transition from being students to entering the workforce as qualified pharmacists.

One of the key messages delivered by PSA Tasmanian Branch President, Dr Shane Jackson, was that students have the choice of which intern training provider to select.

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Charlie Benrimoj wins André Bédat Award : 31/08/2010 :

University of Sydney Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Strategic Planning) and Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Professor Shalom Isaac (Charlie) Benrimoj is the winner of this years André Bédat Award. The award was presented to Professor Benrimof during the opening ceremony of FIP2010 in Lisbon over the weekend.

The André Bédat Award is the highest Pharmaceutical Practice award of International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and is awarded every two years at an FIP Congress. It is awarded to a pharmacist or a person eligible to be licensed as a pharmacist in who is an outstanding practitioner, having made significant contributions to pharmacy at the international level.

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RGH E-Bulletin: Constipation - part 1 : 30/08/2010 :

The topic of this week's RGH E‑Bulletin is Constipation (part 1)

"Constipation is not easily defined because there is wide inter-individual variation in normal bowel habit (the normal frequency of bowel motions may vary from three times per day to twice per week), but the term implies a diminished frequency of bowel motions and/or the passage of small hard stools. Causes of constipation are many, and in an individual, may be multifactorial. Causes of constipation include: inadequate fibre intake, dehydration, immobility reduced muscle tone in small/large bowel, pregnancy, carcinoma, dementia, depression, hypercalcaemia and drugs."

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

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Youth rules in Queensland : 30/08/2010 :

The appointment of Lisa Goldsmith as a Vice-President of the Queensland Branch Committee of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia gives the branch one of the youngest executives ever seen at the PSA on a state or territory level.
 
The branch executive is now made up of Dr Lisa Nissen, Branch President, Mr Bruce Elliot, Branch Vice-President, and Ms Lisa Goldsmith, Branch Vice-President. Dr Nissen is an associate professor at the University of Queensland, Mr Elliot is an accredited pharmacist and community pharmacist owner at Yeppoon and Ms Goldsmith is a hospital pharmacist in Brisbane. Both Dr Nissen and Mr Elliot are National Board members of the PSA.

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Australian pharmacist John Bell re-elected as FIP Vice President : 30/08/2010 :

At the FIP2010 Congress, which commenced in Lisbon over the weekend, Australian pharmacist John Bell was re-elected for a second four year term as one of three FIP Vice Presidents. Mr Bell was first elected to the position in 2006 and was the first of three Vice Presidents elected this weekend.

Mr Bell is a past past national president of PSA and a past president of the Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Association. He has been awarded fellowships of both the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. He was appointed as a member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to pharmacy in 1993. Mr Bell received the FIP André Bédat Award for his significant contributions to pharmacy at the international level in 2004.

Bill Arnold caught up with John immediately after his election. Click the More link to hear what he had to say.

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Spiriva joins the Mirixa Australia stable : 30/08/2010 :

Mirixa Australia and Boehringer Ingelheim Pty Ltd have announced the rollout of a distinctly different Mirixa Australia program, named the “Spiriva New to Therapy Program”.

For this program, pharmacists initiate newly prescribed Spiriva patients to the medicine and HandiHaler device then follow up with the patient 1 month later. The pharmacy will be paid professional service fees per patient session.

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International survey on pharmacists’ views : 30/08/2010 :

The results of an international survey on pharmacists’ views on their changing roles, prepared by FIP with support from medicines manufacturer Pfizer, will be presented today at the 2010 FIP Congress in Lisbon, Portugal.

Of all the countries surveyed, Australia had the lowest percentage (31 per cent) of respondents saying pharmacy is “worse off than it was five years ago”. The average across all countries shows that 54 per cent believe pharmacy is worse off.

The biggest issue seen to be facing pharmacy globally is 'Third party payers, reimbursement, generic drugs pricing control/ regulations' but in Australia the biggest issueis seen by pharmacists to be  'competition' closely followed by 'Job security, lack of career evolution, too many pharmacists'.

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Oncology Pharmacy Grants awarded by SHPA : 30/08/2010 :

Two hospital pharmacists, John Coutsouvelis and Getta Sandhu, have been awarded EBEWE Pharma 2010 Oncology Pharmacy Grants.

EBEWE Pharma 2010 Oncology Pharmacy Grants, sponsored by Interpharma Pty Ltd, make available a sum of $10,000 to a pharmacist member of The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) for professional development or research activities relevant to oncology pharmacy practice. The grants are part of SHPA’s Research and Development Grants Program.

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Which diets work effectively? : 27/08/2010 :

This year's PAC agenda includes a presentation by dietician, Dr Tim Crowe to help pharmacists identify which of the myriad of diets being promoted are effective and safe.

Dr Crowe, a senior lecturer in Nutrition at Deakin University and accredited practising dietician, will explore, from an evidence-based perspective, how the different dietary approaches of low-fat, low-carbohydrate, low-GI, high-protein, low energy density, and meal replacement products compare over both the short and long term.

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Ask your pharmacist week starts Sunday : 27/08/2010 :

This year's Ask your pharmacist week runs from Sunday August 29 to Friday September 4. As part of the week, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia is launching a new community service video announcement, featuring the tagline: “For advice about medicines or minor ailments, ask your pharmacist – best to be sure.”

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Pharmacist error to blame for swimmer's ban? : 27/08/2010 :

Following media reports yesterday (here and here) that Australian swimmer Ryan Napoleon has been banned from international competition for three months after a pharmacist's error led to him testing positive to a banned substance, PSA has reminded pharmacists of the need to be aware of the circumstances under which medications are dispensed.

Acting President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Grant Kardachi, said the case highlighted the need for pharmacists to have the resources available to check on the medications they are dispensing and, in the case of elite sport people, to be able to check if they are banned substances.

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Panvax Junior goes off : 27/08/2010 :

Following stability testing by the TGA of the Panvax H1N1 2009 Junior vaccine, which showed a decline in potency in the Panvax supplied in 0.25 ml pre-filled syringes, the TGA has advised that all stocks of the vaccine for children supplied in 0.25 ml pre-filled syringes, should now be considered expired.

Panvax in multidose vials is not affected, nor are the trivalent seasonal influenza vaccines. The safety of the vaccine is also not affected.

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OTC codeine works for pharmacists : 27/08/2010 :

This week's poll asked 'listers whether they'd tried OTC codeine containing analgesics and, if yes, whether they'd found them more effective than plain paracetamol/ibuprofen.

Well yes, say over 2/3 of respondents, representing 78% of those who'd tried these products. If you allow for the 5-10% of the population said to be slow metabolisers (2D6 deficient), this produces a 'yes, this works' outcome approaching 90%.

Given that the evidence suggests codeine is ineffective in doses less than 30mg, what's going on here? Is the apparent efficacy of these products in our sample a placebo effect? Is the evidence flawed? Perhaps one of our academic 'listers might like to propose an explanation.

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A renewed approach to quitting smoking - being positive : 26/08/2010 :

QUIT Victoria is launching a new anti-smoking campaign that uses positive messages about quitting rather than focusing on the negative aspects of continuing to smoke.

The multi-media campaign focuses on encouraging quit attempts, recognising that the majority of smokers already want to quit but most of them will not manage to quit at the first attempt. Recent research from the Cancer Council of Victoria showed that 8 out of 10 Victorian smokers have tried to quit at least once, while more than half of Victorian smokers have tried to quit multiple times.

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SHPA conference early bird registration closes 3 Sept : 26/08/2010 :

Early bird registrations for this year's SHPA Medicines Management national conference close on 3 September. The conference will be held in Melbourne, 11-14 November, and has a diverse agenda covering:

Infection control - What can pharmacists and prescribers do to try and curb or re-emerging bacteria and viruses? Update your knowledge on resistance, re-emergence and viruses.

Living longer - pharmacy roles and challenges in keeping older people healthy longer.

Pain management in various settings

Broadening the profession - different career path options and the future of pharmacy.

Technician roles - how they have changed since the 1970s.

Register online at www.mm2010shpa.com.

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