Clinical
‘Huge’ opportunity for pharmacist prescribing
Crucial drug for menopausal women should be added to pharmacist prescribing rights, GP argues, with doctors “not doing it well” Vaginal hormones should be made more easily available through pharmacists, …
Lived experience influences at-risk screening: study
How does a pharmacist’s own experiences with mental health affect how they screen and respond to at-risk patients? Researchers in Western Australia investigated Pharmacists’ lived experience with suicide affects how …
‘We are not policemen’
PDL director advises on how to address patients “demanding” S3 medicines including SABAs While pharmacists need to be counselling on short-acting beta agonists (SABAs) overuse, it’s not their role to …
Asthma control, SABA overuse addressed
Leading pharmacist warns of 32-fold increased mortality risk associated with SABA overuse as definition of “asthma control” changes in Australian guidelines Changes in the Australian Asthma Handbook due to be …
‘We are the only country who requires vapes to be sold in pharmacies’
Health Minister celebrates over 10 million illicit vapes seized as teen vaping rates slow, but tobacconists and vape shops remain key sources despite pharmacy-only laws Vaping rates for young Australians …
Continued vaping at follow-up ‘problematic’
Vaping devices could help people of lower socioeconomic background quit smoking, an Australian randomised controlled trial has found Vaporised nicotine devices are more effective than nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for …
‘Substantial impact’: Pharmacists boost uptake threefold
Aged care sector under pressure but pharmacists “can easily fill the gap”, as large new study shows profession’s role in vaccination Pharmacists have had a “substantial” impact on vaccination uptake …
‘Not enough time to do all the tasks … in the real world’
Pharmacists need more time to work as an ACOP, or RMMR services should be brought back alongside the measure, argue experts The current 0.2FTE per 50 beds for the Aged …
July MIMS update
Some of the recent changes to the medicines landscape, with new products, indications and contraindications New Products Canakinumab (rmc) (Ilaris) is a human monoclonal anti-human interleukin (IL)-1beta antibody of the …
‘A pharmacist-consumer consultation can significantly help’
More than 100 vitamin B6-only products would be affected by proposed upscheduling to S3, as TGA consults on interim decision Products containing greater than 50 mg but less than 200 …
‘Dramatic increase’ in prescription cannabis
Most people are now accessing medical cannabis on script and in safer forms, but “concerning” trend shows many are being prescribed for conditions with no evidence of efficacy Around three-quarters …
Concern over rising triple-therapy use
New report shows 130% increase in use of triple therapy for COPD, as well as a 31% drop in spirometry testing rates Patients with COPD who are using triple therapy …