opioids
What are they waiting for?
Why are some jurisdictions dragging their feet on real-time monitoring? asks Angelo Pricolo As Victoria powers ahead with the Australia’s first automated Real-Time Prescription Monitoring (RTPM) system, the elephant in …
Photocopied script dispensed 60 times
New Zealand’s pharmacy regulator is reportedly “stunned” that a woman was able to use a single photocopied script to get tramadol from 21 pharmacies Stuff reports that Ramona Deane developed …
‘It will take courage to face the failure of our current drug policies.’
NSW Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame has called for a drug summit, attention to real time prescribing, better access to drug substitution programs and better pharmacy takeup of naloxone She …
A snapshot of drug use
Alcohol and nicotine remain the most-consumed licit drugs in Australia, while methylamphetamine is still the most-used illicit drug, new data show The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission has released the sixth …
Pollies back pharmacists in harm minimisation
Politicians from the three major parties have spoken out in support of the role pharmacists can play in reducing harms from licit and illicit drugs Speaking at the launch of …
World news wrapup: 31 January 2019
Alaskans directed to fill legitimate opioid scripts; Essex pharmacist struck off after “gross abrogation” of duty; Rotoruans can’t afford to fill scripts Alaska, US: People with chronic pain in Alaska …
The 3,300: SafeScript helping already
SafeScript is already saving lives, says the Victorian Government, while the Victorian Guild calls for urgent action in other jurisdictions SafeScript, Victoria’s real-time monitoring system, went live in Western Victoria …
World news wrapup: 13 December 2018
Jail for pharmacist who traded oxycodone for sex; hidden camera pharmacist facing new charges; Brits to ditch “archaic” fax machines Baltimore, Maryland: Former pharmacist Richard Daniel Hiller has been sentenced to …
Prescription opioid rates ‘astonishing’
Several stakeholders have expressed concern about a newly documented rise in opioid use The Third Australian Atlas of Healthcare Variation, released on Tuesday, found that between 2013–14 and 2016–17 the …
Stop calling them ‘painkillers’
A new paper from the SHPA has exposed national inconsistencies in provision of pharmacy services to reduce the risk of opioid misuse “These tablets, they’re not lollies,” outgoing president of …
A snapshot of opioid use
New PBS data shows that opioid prevalence in Australia has increased since 2013, but incidence has decreased And in response, pain stakeholders have called for better access to multi-disciplinary treatments, …
Opioid deaths nearly double
More hospitalisations are caused by side effects of intended use of licit opioids, than from illicit use or misuse Harms highlighted in a new report underline the pressing need for …