drug misuse
Upscheduling codeine would punish genuine users: CHF
Taking codeine off pharmacy shelves will only hide the problem of its abuse, says the Consumers Health Forum of Australia. Moving codeine-containing medicines to prescription only is “a very blunt …
Opioid prescription meds among most over-prescribed: RACP
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians is calling for greater awareness of the over-prescribing of opioid prescription medication for pain. RACP President, Laureate Professor Nick Talley, says opioids are now …
Pharmacist bites man
A pharmacist in Concord, California, nearly bit off the finger of a man who attempted to rob the store. Local area news outlets report that the man entered the Oak …
Pharmacy a poor fit for supply of illegal party drugs like ecstasy
Community pharmacy would be a poor fit for the supply of party drugs such as ecstasy if they were legalised and regulated, says the PSA national president Joe Demarte, following …
Health coalition urges Govt to scrap health cuts
A coalition of 17 peak and non-government organisations from the health and community sectors is calling on the Australian Government to scrap plans to cut nearly $800 million in funding …
Real-time monitoring, not Rx, for codeine: Guild
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia is calling for the implementation of a national mandatory real-time monitoring system in community pharmacy to address the issue of abuse and dependency related to …
Guild welcomes ice action, calls to extend Project STOP
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia welcomes the establishment by the Prime Minister of a taskforce to develop a National Ice Action Strategy to tackle the growing scourge of ice (crystal …
PSA resource on OTC codeine overuse
The PSA has produced a leaflet as one of its resources developed in response to increasing reports about the damaging effects of overuse of readily available pain relievers containing codeine. …
Funding go-slow frustrates in electronic drugs reporting
Lack of funds and training is frustrating PSA’s NSW branch president Stephen Carter as they slow the rollout of Electronic Recording and Reporting of Controlled Drugs system (eRRCD). Carter told …