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EDITORIAL for Monday, 20 October 2014
The weeks are certainly speeding up as it only seems yesterday that I wrote the last editorial and the day before that again – when the new format for i2P was introduced. Welcome to the current edition of i2P (Information to Pharmacists) and the very topical material we have this week. Ebola appears in almost…
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As Pharmacists How Can We Prepare For an Ebola Outbreak?
Like a lot of health professionals I have been reading about the Ebola outbreak and what we, as pharmacists, should provide in the form of information or treatment support. I have not seen anything from our official bodies, and it may be too late if an outbreak actually occurs within Australia. The mathematics of the…
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Expect 6000 more Australian deaths if pollution rises to ‘safe’ threshold
A leading pollution expert is warning Australian governments not to use the existing national pollution standards when assessing new infrastructure projects.The National Environment Protection Measures (NEPM) has set maximum daily limits, or ‘standards’, for six key outdoor pollutants, which QUT‘s Associate Professor Adrian Barnett says many authorities wrongly assume to be ‘safe’ thresholds for health. To test that…
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Food Processors and Obesity
How responsible are food and beverage manufacturers for Australia’s obesity issue? Australia has a weight problem, and the finger of blame is frequently pointed at food manufacturers, their products and marketing strategies for the country’s collective expanding waistline. Australia is one of the fattest nations in the developed world. Obesity rates have doubled in the…
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ASMI Media Releases – 1. Switching Lag 2. New Complementary Meds Research 3. Govt. to Cut Red Tape
Australia behind the rest of the world on switch 17 October 2014 – The Australian Self Medication Industry (ASMI) says New Zealand is leading the way in improving consumer access to medicines. A number of medicines such as trimethoprim for urinary tract infection; triptans for migraine; oseltamivir for flu and flu vaccines are available in…
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This School Has Bikes Instead Of Desks–And It Turns Out That’s A Better Way To Learn
Some schools are canceling recess. But this North Carolina grade school is going in the opposite direction: Kids ride bikes as they read. Elementary school has always looked a little bit like training for a traditional office job: You show up at 8 or 9, sit at your desk, and fill out paperwork for most…
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The Battle Clinical Pharmacists Have to Win
I was pleased to see an opinion article by Jeff Shaw, recently published in Pharmacy News. Basically, he was outlining how the pharmacy landscape had changed since 1996 where his pharmacy students at that time thought the class titled “Clinical Pharmacy” was one more designed for hospital pharmacists. He said: “Fifteen years on the whole…
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PSA Media Releases – 1. Code of Ethics 2. Welcome PGA President 3. Vic. Govt. Enquiry
PSA Code of Ethics underpins consumer confidence in pharmacists 17.10.2014 Pharmacists continue to rate highly with consumers and the latest customer satisfaction survey shows up 91 per cent of customers are happy with the service they receive from pharmacists. The latest findings from Roy Morgan Research reinforce its survey earlier this year on the image of…
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A successful person is an average person, focused
I love golf – both playing and watching the pros – so you can imagine my delight when my wife Carol Ann surprised me for my birthday with a trip to watch the Ryder Cup in Glasgow, Scotland, in late September. What a memorable experience, one that’s been on my bucket list for a long…
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NPS Media Releases 1. Pain Relief Overuse 2. Taking Medicines as Prescribed
OVERUSE OF PAIN RELIEVERS POSES A SAFETY RISK FOR AUSTRALIANS 17 OCTOBER 2014 – On the final day of Be Medicinewise Week 2014, NPS MedicineWise is reminding people that excess consumption of common pain relievers is a serious medicine safety issue. A recent poll* on behalf of NPS MedicineWise suggests that many Australians have exceeded the maximum daily dose…