opioids
Think naloxone beyond opioids, expert warns
A pharmacist expert on opioids is calling for an “urgent upscale” in harm minimisation, following two coroner’s recommendations on illicit drug use Coroners Ingrid Giles and Simon McGregor have recommended …
Lengthy use underscores need for early assessment
Discharge from hospital is a common reason for initiating oxycodone, study finds, but a proportion of people were still taking the drug 12 months later… About half of new oxycodone …
The rise of tapentadol
A new big health data study looks at the decline of subsidised opioid use since the 2020 changes: with one exception A new UNSW Sydney big health data study, published …
Opioid access: more action needed, say hospital pharmacists
Patients should not have to pay for unsubsidised morphine products brought in to manage the current shortage, says the SHPA Yesterday (28 February 2023), the AJP reported that the Therapeutic …
Pain management pharmacy standard updated
An updated Australian practice standard in pain management for pharmacy services has been released by the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia The update details current best practice for the …
Efforts ‘shift the dial’ on the pain meds shortage
Steps are being made towards access to morphine oral solution – and an announcement may be on its way in the near future Mundpharma has written to advise of an …
World news wrapup: 16 November 2023
Vengeance not sweet for censured Kiwi pharmacist; Belgian Ozempic weight loss ban; cheating allegations in UK pharmacy exam New Zealand: A pharmacist’s revenge against his former employers over theft accusations …
State legislation hampers naloxone access
Legislative changes are required to bolster access to naloxone in Victoria, a state MP believes Victorian legislation needs to be updated to enable a broader range of suppliers of naloxone …
GP pharmacists deliver benefits
Pharmacists embedded in general practice are helping to improve medication use and reduce opioid prescribing, a study reveals General practice pharmacists (GPPs) can help provide a “safer foundation for deprescribing” …
Pharmacists key in saving lives with naloxone
More than 3,000 lives have been saved since the Take Home Naloxone program began – but a shortage is making it harder to help people For International Overdose Awareness Day …
Ordine discontinued
The TGA has announced that the supply of Ordine (morphine) oral liquid will be discontinued in Australia between November 2023 and early 2024 “While Ordine oral liquids are still available …
Failures to check SafeScript implicated in opioid death
A coroner has outlined how a man’s overuse of OTC codeine led to a dependence on tapentadol and oxycodone, and how this led to his death – aided by several …