Coffee culture
A pharmacist offers his prescription for the best possible coffee culture Many years ago, coffee in Australia was as foreign as the people who drank it. Tea ruled supreme. Now …
Week in review
Pharmacists’ scope of practice and the International Pharmaceutical Federation’s (FIP) World Congress topped the agenda over the last seven days Phase two of the NSW pharmacy trial was launched on …
Are doctors making a case for pharmacy UTI services?
Readers react to leading doctor’s call to ditch pharmacist-initiated UTI services, following spike in emergency department (ED) presentations by patients seeking care Australian Medical Association Queensland (AMAQ) president, Dr Maria …
Is there something fishy about fish oil?
Are fish oil supplements as healthy as we think? And is eating fish better? In this article from The Conversation, Evangeline Mantzioris, program director of Nutrition and Food Sciences and Accredited …
Boost for medicines use
Health minister announces a funding boost for quality use of medicines education programs The federal government says that “Australians will benefit from better medicine use thanks to nearly $26 million …
Glucagon shortage extended
Emergency diabetes treatment shortage to continue for another month Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals warns a critical shortage of its GlucaGen HypoKit (glucagon) will continue until 31 October. The company had initially …
No default to 60-day scripts
Prescribing software provides doctors with options to prescribe eligible medications on a 30- or 60-day script, bureaucrats say Concerns that GPs’ prescribing software platforms automatically prompt doctors to issue 60-day …
Pharmacists push for affordable medicines
Commonwealth policies are creating barriers for patients with diabetes to access vital medications.  It’s September 1923 and patients with diabetes are battling medicines supply shortages and significant out-of-pocket costs, and …
Forecasting the future
Prescribing, modernising eHealth, protecting supply chains and regulating artificial intelligence key concerns of pharmacy sector The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) has released the third edition of its …
Doctors push for end to pharmacy UTI treatment
Surge in hospital presentations for urinary tract infections (UTIs) prompts call for Queensland to scrap its pharmacist-initiated treatment program Data showing a significant increase in the number of patients presenting …
‘We cannot wait until March’
Pharmacists are set to take to the streets once more with activists planning a second protest in Sydney in response to the government’s 60-day dispensing policy Representatives of the Community …
Benefits outweigh 60-day wastage fears
Department of Health officials play down pharmacists’ concerns that 60-day dispensing will fuel an increase in medicine wastage Medicines wastage as a result of the government’s decision to increase maximum …