SIGMA gets up a head of steam, share price bounces : 15/09/2011 :

Sigma Pharmaceuticals yesterday reported half year results for the period ending 31 July, 2011 that showed a net profit of $26.7 million, compared to a net loss of $9.2 million for the corresponding period in 2010. The company attributes the result to market share growth (Pharmacy Alliance) and reduced interest payments.

Excluding the revenue caused by the Pfizer departure from the wholesalers, the company reported 9% year on year growth in sales.

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The Great Debate - Not to be missed : 15/09/2011 :

Issues relating to the size of the pharmacy workforce have increasingly dominated the headlines in the pharmacy media throughout 2011.
 
On the one hand  are calls for a moratorium on new pharmacy schools, claims of underpayment, and concerns about oversupply – particularly since pharmacists were recently returned to the Skilled Occupation List for migration purposes. 

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Hospital in the home could slash health costs and free up beds : 15/09/2011 :

According to research published today by Deloitte Access Economics, hundreds of thousands of public hospital patients could be treated at home at lower cost than traditional institutionalised care.

The Report, commissioned by the Hospital in the Home (HITH) Society of Australasia, found that hospital-quality care in the home delivers equivalent health outcomes, is 32 per cent more cost-effective for governments than in-hospital treatment for the medical conditions examined, and is preferred by patients.

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Big pharma keeps the pressure on for PBS listings : 15/09/2011 :

Speaking at an industry conference in Sydney yesterday Medicines Australia CEO Dr Brendan Shaw repeated peak pharma group Medicines Australia's call for the current government policy of deferring PBAC recommended PBS listings to end.

“The PBS is sustainable once the Government takes into account its own forecasts of modest PBS growth and the headroom being created for new medicines through price disclosure savings and patent expiries," said Dr Shaw.

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RUOK? - a conversation could change a life : 15/09/2011 :

Today is RUOK? Day. RUOK? Day is a national day of action designed to help prevent suicide by asking Australians to connect with someone they care about and help stop little problems turning into big ones.

On this day the 15th, Australians are encouraged to ask family, friends and colleagues: "Are you OK?".

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NPS and e-scripts - clarification : 14/09/2011 :

In yesterday's AusPharm we ran an item that highlighted a coming NPS campaign to raise awareness of electronic transfer of prescriptions (eTP) as a tool for medication management for pharmacies and general practices.

That item included an image of eRx Script Exchange which prompted a few enquires as to whether NPS was in some way 'endorsing' eRx.

This is not the case. NPS is an independent organisation and is not working to promote either of the eTP services over the other, but rather to facilitate uptake of eTP as a whole. 

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HMR rules to change October 1 : 14/09/2011 :

Under the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement, changes are being made to the Home Medicines Review (HMR) Program from 1 October which will:

• Highlight the importance of the patient’s clinical needs at time of referral
• Empower the patient to choose the most appropriate pharmacist to interview them at home
• Enable the GP to refer to either the patient’s preferred community pharmacy or an accredited pharmacist of the patient’s choice

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PharmacyLIVE! Registration Closes Soon : 14/09/2011 :

Registrations for PharmacyLIVE! - the PSA's new, exciting and interactive professional development event  - close soon with places available for a limited number of sessions on both Saturday and Sunday.
 
PharmacyLIVE!, to be held on 17 and 18 September at Sydney Showgrounds, offers a program which focuses on chronic disease management, quality use of medicines and medication adherence.

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Higher rates of treated end-stage kidney disease projected for 2020 : 14/09/2011 :

New cases of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) treated with dialysis or kidney transplantation are expected to rise significantly over the next decade, according to a report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

Australia’s ageing population and increasing rates of diabetes (the most common cause of treated ESKD) are estimated to contribute considerably to the predicted increase.

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Poll: Pfizer, still on the nose? : 14/09/2011 :

In light of the renewed publicity this week on the Pfizer direct to pharmacy exclusive supply model, we're wondering to what extent Pfizer is still on the nose amongst pharmacists. The recent Galaxy poll suggested antagonism towards the company was still widespread but this survey had a very low response rate and may have produced a distorted result.

Let's see what result 'listers produce. Please let us know how you feel about the Pfizer and its exclusive supply arrangements by voting in this week's AusPharm poll.

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Pfizer petition goes to parliament, Pfizer responds : 13/09/2011 :

The CSO wholesalers, through their peak body the National Pharmaceutical Services Association (NPSA), yesterday presented a 32,000 signature strong petition to federal parliament calling for a ban on exclusive PBS medicines supply arrangements.

Also yesterday, NPSA released survey results revealing widespread dissatisfaction amongst pharmacists of the Pfizer exclusive, direct to pharmacy supply model. The survey, conducted online, was distributed via email to 2361 pharmacies between Tuesday 30 August and Sunday 4 September. 217 surveys were completed.

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Preparations for NAPSA Congress 2012 well underway : 13/09/2011 :

In a first for regional Australia, the National Australian Pharmacy Students’ Association (NAPSA) Congress 2012 will be held at CSU in Wagga Wagga from Sunday 22 January to Saturday 28 January 2012.

Members of the University’s student club, Pharmers' Society have been planning the event since March last year, with a successful bid to host the Congress launched by the Society in the middle of 2010.

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Ehealth Record Blueprints Finalised : 13/09/2011 :

The finalised plans for Australia’s eHealth system were yesterday released by the federal Department of Health and Ageing. The Concept of Operations for the personally controlled electronic health record (PCEHR) system is a fundamental part of the move from paper-based records to secure eHealth records.

The Concept of Operations describes the implementation plan and consultation pathways for Australia’s electronic health system, its structure, how it will work, the security and privacy principles, and the expected benefits of eHealth for patients, carers and healthcare professionals.

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NPS encourages e-script uptake : 13/09/2011 :

NPS announced yesterday that, in the coming months, it will help raise awareness of electronic transfer of prescriptions (eTP) as a tool for medication management, and will work with pharmacies and general practices using eTP to develop practical resources to facilitate uptake.

According to NPS, electronic transfer of prescriptions — the secure transfer of prescription information between prescribing and dispensing systems — is an important early step towards an e-health-enabled healthcare system and improving medication management. While the majority of GP practices have access to eTP through their prescribing software, many are not yet using this technology.

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Observers speechless over the new SensaSlim : 12/09/2011 :

According to a UK media release issued on 7 September 2011, SensaSlim International Limited will be launching their breakthrough intra oral spray "SensaSlim Slimming Spray" worldwide in 2012 to replace "SensaSlim Slimming Solution".

Australia will miss out however, due to "contractual issues with the master franchisee who was stripped of the rights in June 2011". This, despite Australia apparently being the research site for the new formulation for over 12 months… what a disappointment.

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Pharmacists welcome SA Strategic Health Plan : 12/09/2011 :

The launch of the South Australian Government’s Strategic Heath Plan and its emphasis on improving lifestyle choices for better health outcomes has been welcomed by the South Australian Branch of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.
 
The strategic plan highlights that the link between lifestyle choices and disease is clear, and points to how quality of life can be improved by making changes in the choices people make.

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SA Pharmacist of the year finalists named : 12/09/2011 :

The finalists for the South Australian Branch of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s Pharmacist of the Year Award has been announced
 
The finalists for 2011 are:

• Ms Helen Flannery , a rural community pharmacist
• Ms Helen Brauer, an accredited pharmacist
• Ms Julie Bedford,  a community pharmacist

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RGH E‑Bulletin: Psoriatic arthritis and abatacept : 12/09/2011 :

The topic of this week's RGH E‑Bulletin is Psoriatic arthritis and abatacept.

"Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) is classified as a spondyloarhtropathy characterised by spondolytis (inflammation of the vertebral joints), enthestitis (inflammation at the site of muscle insertion into the bone), dactylitis (inflammation of the digits) and synovitis (inflammation of the synovial membrane). Up to 30% of patients with psoriasis go on to develop PsA, with joint inflammation occurring several years (usually around three to six years) after the appearance of skin lesions.  PsA has an equal prevalence amongst men and women. Treatment of psoriatic arthritis usually requires a coordinated approach involving both the rheumatologist and dermatologist, and is aimed at addressing both  skin and joint disease, with the aim of an improvement in pain, fatigue, depression and reduction of joint damage which, when managed adequately, will also reduce inflammation-induced artherogenesis and the likelihood of early mortality from cardiovascular disease."

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

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ASMI plays down NSAID pregnancy risks : 09/09/2011 :

The Australian Self-Medication Industry (ASMI) issued a statement yesterday in response to the Canadian Medical Association Journal article published this week which found that the use of NSAIDs taken during early pregnancy was associated with a statistically significant risk (2.4 fold increase) of having a miscarriage and concluded that NSAIDs should be used with caution during pregnancy

The ASMI statement notes that the risks associated with NSAID use during pregnancy are already known and that OTC NSAIDs available in Australia (such as diclofenac, ibuprofen and naproxen) already carried mandatory label warnings as a result.

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Northern Territory pharmacists now have the Pharmacists’ Support Service (PSS) as close as a phone : 09/09/2011 :

The Victorian based Pharmacists’ Support Service (PSS is expanding its service to Northern Territory (NT) from 12 September 2011.  Pharmacists in NT will be able to contact this anonymous service for the cost of a local call. 

PSS offers support to pharmacists who wish to talk to a colleague about any issue including workplace stresses, pharmacy practice matters, work or personal pressures, health issues including mental health concerns and drug and alcohol misuse. 

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