World news wrapup: 15 February 2018
Man stabs pharmacist over pharma conspiracy theory; hero pharmacy staff help collapsed man; Purdue to stop promoting opioids to GPs Swansea, Wales: A man has appeared in court after stabbing …
Supplements exploit consumer ignorance
Response to article published in the AJP—The People’s Choice by Ian Carr In the AJP February, 2018 [and published online this week], your feature writer asks: “Can we afford not …
TWC to consolidate after merger success
Terry White Chemmart has attributed its substantial growth in revenue directly to the merger of the Terry White and Chemmart brands The giant has announced its half year results for …
Benzos no good for low back pain
Australians seeking relief from low back pain are being urged not to use benzodiazepines as part of their treatment Choosing Wisely Australia has released five new recommendations around pain management, …
Medicines shortages update
Global shortage of ezetimibe/atorvastatin continues with expected supply date extended to end of March, while sertraline is in shortage until May Atozet tablets, used for hypercholesterolaemia, are currently experiencing a …
Penalties for failing to pay employee $62,000
Three pharmacy owners have been slapped with thousands in fines for underpaying their staff At the time of the alleged conduct, the owners were partners in a business called Save …
The people’s choice
Complementary medicines—conventional medicine’s inferior cousin or a key player in health? asks Leanne Philpott With seven out of 10 Australians using complementary medicines, an ageing population and an ever growing …
Resistant gonorrhoea nearly triples
The number of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea samples reported to health authorities skyrocketed in the six months to September 2017 The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care says the …
Poll: Are more restrictions needed for ibuprofen?
Now that low-dose codeine combinations are available only on prescription, concerns have been raised about potential problems with ibuprofen In an editorial published by the AJP, Ron Batagol and Professor …
Heffernan blasts TGA on codeine
A Guild state president has vowed to continue the fight on codeine and praised the recent NZ downscheduling decision Pharmacy Guild NSW Branch president David Heffernan has queried the validity …
Location rules locked in
“Certainty and stability” ensured, Guild believes as bill passes both houses The National Health Amendment (Pharmaceutical Benefits – Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2017 has now passed through the Senate, …
Medibank, Sigma team up
Medibank and Sigma Healthcare have announced a three-year partnership to engage new customers, reward existing customers, and support their customers’ health needs The partnership will commence in the first half …