pain management
Codeine ‘scare campaign’ ignores harms: pain specialist
Efforts to retain pain and cold/flu medications which contain codeine on the Pharmacist Only schedule are misguided, says a pain expert. “There’s a scare campaign going on, which really doesn’t …
Pain management: best practice in S3 referrals
Pain management best practice can be improved with the help of pharmacy staff in S3 referrals as they are often the first point of contact with customers who present with strong …
NPS MedicineWise launches drug misuse course for pharmacists
To reduce the harm from inappropriate use of pharmaceuticals, health professionals and consumers need to be equipped to use medicines with potential for misuse in safe and appropriate way, says …
Codeine upschedule would have costly consequences: Guild
The Guild has lodged a response to the interim decision by the Advisory Committee for Medicines Scheduling to re-schedule codeine products prescription only, national president George Tambassis has told Guild …
ASMI fighting to turn around codeine upschedule: Steve Scarff
Upscheduling codeine-containing OTCs to prescription only would cause more problems than it would fix, writes Steve Scarff ASMI is opposed to the interim decision to up-schedule OTC codeine medicines to …
Victorian pharmacists to play ‘pivotal’ medicinal cannabis role
Victorian pharmacists will play a pivotal role under proposals announced by the Victorian Government to make medicinal cannabis available to some patients under exceptional circumstances from 2017, says the PSA. …
Victoria to legalise medicinal cannabis, Guild welcomes decision
Victoria’s Andrews Government has decided to legalise access to locally-manufactured medicinal cannabis products for use in exceptional circumstances from 2017, a decision welcomed by the Guild. The Victorian President of …
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 …
Time to question unnecessary testing: Choosing Wisely
Last night’s ABC Four Corners program investigating unnecessary testing and treatments was a timely reminder of the need for both clinicians and consumers to question low-value care in the Australian …
Clinical tips: men and cancer explained
Sometimes men need to be scared into taking action when they present with pain and other symptoms, writes Karalyn Huxhagen Cancer in males can be in many forms, some of …
Clinical tips: counselling the codeine-seeking patient
Treating patients with chronic pain can be a complex, long-term relationship, especially if codeine is involved, writes Karalyn Huxhagen. Like all community pharmacists, I kick myself when I fall for …
Karalyn Huxhagen takes out QUM pain management award
Group Facilitator of the Mackay Pain Support Group, Karalyn Huxhagen, has been announced as the winner of the 2015 PSA Award for Quality Use of Medicines in Pain Management. Huxhagen …