Disease State Management
Facial pain
Facial pain is a common and often debilitating condition. This article explores some common types and causes of facial pain. It also discusses various treatments including appropriate use of medicines …
Hearing loss in older people
Hearing loss is under-recognised and under-treated often due to the belief that it is part of normal ageing.1 This article aims to increase an awareness in pharmacists of the consequences …
Myocarditis
Myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, can cause significant damage to the heart so it is important to advise patients to seek prompt medical attention if there are unexplained …
Anticholinergic medicines: practice considerations and alternatives
This article provides a practical approach to identifying drugs that increase the anticholinergic burden and recognise risks and adverse effects. Suggestion will be offered to assist with decisions about providing …
Myasthenia gravis
Myasthenia gravis is an acquired autoimmune condition characterised by chronic fatigability and muscle weakness, especially in the face and throat. By Dr Louis Roller PhD, MSc, BPharm, BSc, Dip Ed, …
Disability: medication administration issues for people with chronic disease
Every day in pharmacy, pharmacists assist people with disability but often little thought is given to how these people can manage their medicines. This article will offer a general overview …
Multiple sclerosis
A number of medications may assist people with multiple sclerosis to improve their quality of life. As a medicines expert, this is where the pharmacist can assist people with MS …
Alcohol-associated liver disease and drug-related harm
Alcohol-associated liver disease is one of the major causes of chronic liver disease in Australia. While optimising medicines to manage complications of liver disease and comorbidities can be difficult, pharmacists …
Urticaria (hives)
The first step in managing a patient with urticaria is to try and classify the nature of the condition. This will determine which, if any, investigations are necessary. Antihistamines remain …
Chronic kidney disease
With increased awareness, pharmacists can help assist patients to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and prevent cardiovascular and other complications with early referral. By Dr Jenny Gowan …
Depression and antidepressants
Pharmacists have a crucial role in supporting patients living with depression by providing advice and counselling about pharmacological treatments and recommending various strategies to assist these people to improve their …