Chronic pain and opioids: How to talk tapering
Knowing how to begin patient conversations about opioid tapering can be challenging so NPS MedicineWise offers some practice tips to get the conversation off on the right footing. Use the …
Chronic pain and opioids: Carers must be opioid aware
With opioid literacy an ongoing problem, Carers Australia is urging pharmacists to play a more active role in identifying carers of people relying on opioids for pain relief, and to …
Shingles needs a shake-up
A campaign aims to make Australians shingles-aware — and one group says pharmacists could help. A new campaign has been launched to raise awareness of the signs, symptoms and risk …
Headache and migraine: Make some headroom
Pharmacists can make a difference to the burden of headache and migraine, given research shows GPs aren’t adequately trained and 50% of patients haven’t even been properly diagnosed. The 2020-21 …
Psychology of pain: COVID makes life worse for chronic pain patients
Lockdown stress has hit chronic pain patients hard but those with more resilience, flexibility and acceptance have coped better, research finds. Chronic pain patients experienced increased pain, anxiety, depression and …
Thought leadership: Pain and the functional medicine pharmacist
Functional medicine provides an opportunity for pharmacists who are looking to extend their role beyond the dispensary and toward fee-for-service consultations in clinic rooms, writes pharmacist and functional health coach …
Children’s pain: Suffer little children
Despite its prevalence, children’s pain is poorly understood, often ignored and under-treated, say pain experts in a new report. Undertreated, unrecognised or poorly managed pain in childhood leads to important …
Women’s pain: Lifting the lid on pelvic pain
By asking women how many days per month they suffer pain, you can differentiate between dysmenorrhoea alone (2–3 days) and complex central pain sensitisation (most days), says gynaecologist and pelvic pain …
Trans and gender diverse healthcare in pharmacy
Pharmacists are well placed to advise trans and gender diverse patients and their families about medications and manage their expectations of gender-affirming therapy in an environment that is free from …
Complementary medicines and relief of symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH)
Pharmacists can potentially play a key role in the management of BPH, allowing patients to maximise symptom relief by educating them on all available treatment options. By Tim Stewart, clinical …
Editorial: Unlocking the persistent pain puzzle
You will be familiar with patients presenting with bad period pain but you may not be versed in something called dysmenorrhea-related pelvic-pain syndrome (DRPPS). However, recognising the symptoms of DRPPS …
Molnupiravir: an oral treatment to add to the COVID-19 arsenal
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has granted provisional approval for two new oral medications that are indicated for use in mild-to-moderate COVID-19 infections to prevent disease progression and hospitalisations. What …