Aussies at FIP 2011, Hyderabad : 08/09/2011 :

AusPharm's Bill Arnold is at FIP 2011 in Hyderabad, India. He reports that a number of Australian are actively involved in proceedings. 

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New Fact Sheets released : 08/09/2011 :

Two new 5th Agreement Fact Sheets have been published on the 5th Community Pharmacy Agreement website.

They are:

• The Charter Basics and
• The Charter - What does it mean for your business and staff?
  

Download them here.

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NPS urges GPs to routinely assess benefits and harms for patients taking antipsychotics : 08/09/2011 :

Psychotic disorders affect 4% of Australians. Those taking antipsychotic medicines to treat their condition not only bear the burden of disease, but also a significant burden of side effects from the medicines they take. Balancing the benefits and harms of these medicines for each individual represents a constant challenge for GPss.
 
An Australian survey found that about 80% of people with a psychotic illness taking risperidone or olanzapine reported one or more troublesome side effects and worsened quality of life. Another study found that more than half of those tested had significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

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Pharmacist Coalition first poll underway – have your say : 08/09/2011 :

The Pharmacist Coalition for Health Reform encouraged pharmacists and community members to take part in a series of online polls and share their opinion on a range of pharmacy issues, at the recent Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) Victorian Summit.

PCHR spokesperson and Chief Executive Officer of the SHPA, Yvonne Allinson introduced the PCHR at the Summit and said the polls would be used to inform the campaign and ensure that the Pharmacy Coalition understands the concerns and priorities of the community.

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Pregnant women urged to seek pharmacists’ advice : 08/09/2011 :

Pregnant women needing NSAIDS have been urged to go to a pharmacy and seek professional advice from a pharmacist before making such purchases.
 
National President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Grant Kardachi, made the plea yesterday following the release of research warning that women more than double the risk of having a miscarriage by taking any amount of a NSAID.

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Nurofen TV advertisements : 08/09/2011 :

Nurofen maker Reckitt Benckiser issued a statement yesterday in response to the Complaints Resolution Panel’s (CRP) recent determination that its Nurofen TV ad which claims that Nurofen provides “targeted relief from pain” and “goes straight to the source of the pain” contravenes section 4(2)(c) of the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code and should be withdrawn.

The company says that it does not agree with a number of the sanctions requested by the CRP, is reviewing the decision, and is preparing a response.

The company pointed out that the TGA holds no question in relation to the product’s safety and efficacy information in any of its advertising or packaging addding that 'Nurofen’s primary focus is to ensure that its products help consumers get pain relief in a safe and effective way'.

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CARPA Manual now online : 08/09/2011 :

The 5th edition of the Central Australian Rural Practitioners Association (CARPA) Standard Treatment Manual is now available online.

Since its first publication in 1992 as a collection of protocols for the management of common conditions seen in remote (mainly Aboriginal) health practice, the CARPA Standard Treatment Manual has achieved iconic status as a reference work.

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New analgesic evidence published : 08/09/2011 :

A Cochrane Review of data relating to about 45,000 patients involved in approximately 350 individual studies has provided an evaluation of the effect you can expect to get if you take commonly used painkillers at specific doses. The review also identifies pain killers for which there is only poor or no reliable evidence. The review is published in the latest edition of The Cochrane Library.

Working at the Oxford Pain Research Unit at Oxford University, Dr Andrew Moore and colleagues analyzed the findings of 35 Cochrane Reviews of randomized trials testing how well different pain killers work when used against postoperative pain.

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PHARMeFOOTY weekly wrap : 07/09/2011 :

AFL Round 24

AFL Round 24 saw 8 tippers select all the 8 game winners. John Brinklow from Lancelin Pharmacy tipped the perfect margin and wins the final weekly prize for PHARMeFOOTY season 2011. In 2nd place was David Hunt from Torrens Road Gordon with Lara McNeill of Marden Amcal in 3rd position.

NRL Round 26

NRL Round 26 saw just 2 tippers select all 8 winners correctly. Michael Bates from City Pharmacy - MLC Centre tipped the perfect margin and wins the final weekly prize for PHARMeFOOTY season 2011. In 2nd place was Tony Kelly with Andrew McMurtrie of TWC Mackay in 3rd position.

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Boehringer Ingelheim: dabigatran a better option : 07/09/2011 :

More than 3,500 'debilitating, often fatal and entirely unnecessary' strokes will be suffered by Australians with atrial fribillation this year, according to a report to be released today. The report was commissioned by Pradaxa (dabigatran) manufacturer Boehringer Ingelheim and conducted in associatin with Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute, the Florey Neuroscience Institutes and Deloitte Access Economics.

The report says that up to 700 lives will lost to ‘preventable’ strokes in 2011 because of a widespread failure to provide effective stroke prevention and suggests that the limitations of the most common stroke prevention therapies on the PBS, warfarin and aspirin, is in part responsible for the high rate of preventable strokes amongst atrial fibrillation sufferers.

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Nurofen TV ad likely to be pulled : 07/09/2011 :

Following the upholding of a complaint lodged with therapeutic goods ad 'referee' the Complaints Resolution Panel (CRP) by Adelaide University Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, Professor Paul Rolan, a Nurofen TV ad which claims that Nurofen provides “targeted relief from pain” and “goes straight to the source of the pain” is likely to be taken off the air.

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Poll: saying no : 07/09/2011 :

In a recent post to AusPharmList, frequent flyer David Haworth, wrote:

"Unusually today I refused supply twice to inapropriate and unsafe requests. Young pharmacists should recognise, with careful thought and consideration, that sometimes the best option is to say no, I will not supply that to you."

Perhaps the most frequently inappropriately requested product in pharmacies is Mersyndol (and clones). How often do you decline a request to supply this product?

Please let us know by voting in today's AusPharm poll.

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Board issues advice : 06/09/2011 :

In a statement released yesterday the Pharmacy Board of Australia gave notice of a number of decisions made at its August 26 meeting.

Amongst these were a number of changes relating to the references required to be held by pharmacist and, in particular, the removal of specific emphases against references which indicated that they were "for pharmacists undertaking medication reviews. 'The Board removed this statement as it believed it had the potential to cause confusion as the Board intends that all references must be accessible to all pharmacists undertaking clinical assessment, reviewing, dispensing and counseling processes'.

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FIP awards 2011 : 06/09/2011 :

A number of awards were presented during the opening ceremony of the 71st World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Hyderabad, India.

The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) believes it is important to support and recognise individuals who, through their vision and commitment to their profession, are making outstanding contributions to the fields of pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical sciences worldwide. As such, each year FIP honours those who have demonstrated commendable work and dedication in areas which parallel the overall FIP mission of advancing pharmacy practice, science and education for the betterment of global health.

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Indian President opens FIP 2011 Congress : 06/09/2011 :

The President of India, Mrs. Pratibah Devingsingh Patil, has opened the 71st World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Hyderabad, India.

Nearly 2000 participants from 98 different countries are attending this years's FIP Congress for a programme centered on increasing the safety and quality of medicines and patients on a global level.

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Oxyc*done causing grief, real time monitoring of opioid dispensing advocated : 06/09/2011 :

A study and an accompanying editorial published in this week's Medical Journal of Australia highlight increasing morbidity and mortality associated with the use of prescription opioids, and in particular Oxycontin, in Australia in recent years. The study authors report that there were 465 oxycodone-related deaths recorded Australia wide during 2001–2009.

The MJA editorial makes four recommendations.

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Bonus points for seeking a pain medicine consultation : 05/09/2011 :

Priceline is currently conducting a national awareness campaign encouraging people to see a pharmacist in one of their 180 or so pharmacies to discuss use of analgesics and pain management. 

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PSA Board going Blue : 05/09/2011 :

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia is a partner in this year’s Blue September initiative, and a new video just uploaded on PSA’s website shows how committed the Society’s Board is to this important event.
 
Each year, more than 22,000 Australian men die of cancer, with the most common types causing death in men being lung, prostate, bowel, melanoma and testicular. These figures mean men are twice as likely as women to die from cancers that in many cases can be prevented, with at least one in three cancer cases being preventable.

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Asthma experts urge: take action in Asthma Week : 05/09/2011 :

As part of this year's Nation Asthma Week Australia’s asthma experts are urging the two million plus Aussies with asthma to make sure they have an up-to-date written asthma action plan.

According to National Asthma Council Australia chairman, Dr Noela Whitby, asthma prevalence in this country is relatively high and hundreds of people die unnecessary deaths from asthma each year.

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RGH E‑Bulletin: Lamotrigine and skin reactions : 05/09/2011 :

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