opioids
TGA probes S8 opioid misuse
The TGA has opened a consultation on options for a regulatory response to the potential misuse of S8 opioids Australia is heading down a “similar” path to other countries which …
Minimal impact
Mixed findings for benefits of tamper-resistant oxycodone The introduction of tamper-resistant oxycodone formulations in Australia in early 2014 has led to little change in the levels of population-level opioid use …
‘We have overprescribed oxycodone, codeine’ says AMA chief
The health sector needs a “fundamental re-education” around the use of analgesics in chronic pain, says AMA president Dr Michael Gannon And doctors have been over-prescribing opioids over recent years, …
Prescription pharmaceutical misuse on the rise
Misuse of pharmaceuticals is now responsible for more deaths than illegal drugs, new data show A new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Non-medical use of pharmaceuticals: …
Oxycodone use higher in the bush
More Australians are using oxycodone and fentanyl than heroin, new data from wastewater analysis suggests But there has been a gradual reduction in pharmaceutical opioid use in some sites, Australia’s …
An unscheduled dilemma
In the first of our series of reviews of the biggest issues facing pharmacy in 2017, Megan Haggan looks at the fraught issue of the codeine upschedule There’s no doubt …
World news wrapup: 7 December 2017
Pharmacist’s plan to fake his own store’s robbery goes awry; pharmacy in blackmail bomb threat; pharmacists pack heat for protection Ottawa, Canada: A pharmacist has been found guilty of trafficking …
Thinking of taking opioids for low back pain? Here’s what you need to know
Thinking of taking opioids for low back pain? Here’s what you need to know When it comes to treating low back pain, opioids have many risks and few benefits. Shutterstock …
Pharmacists aren’t aiding stockpiling
Doctors have taken to mainstream media to claim that codeine addicts are stockpiling – and pharmacists are letting them Pharmacy leaders have described as a “beat-up” the suggestion that pharmacists …
The opioid trap
How many people fall into addiction after getting a script from their doctor, and what role does the ED play? University of Sydney pharmacist researcher Dr Jonathan Penm recently conducted …
Naloxone barriers identified
Two studies presented at this week’s drug and alcohol conference have examined the barriers to pharmacists providing naloxone Awareness and preparedness to supply were identified as two key barriers by …