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Editorial for Sunday 8th September 2014
Welcome to i2P this week. Things do seem to be moving in the pharmacy political arena with on the one hand, the AMA accusing the PGA of turf encroachment and consultant pharmacists accusing the PGA of conflict of interest in respect of HMR’s, their payment and their number. It’s a bit like a three-ring circus…
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Patient-Centred Care is Giving Emotional Support – Are You Up To It?
Have you ever wondered why the various polls for different occupations vary when measured against the parameters of honesty, ethics and caring? The top three positions are usually fought out between nursing, pharmacy and medicine. Nursing has consistently come in at number one, with pharmacy a close second, and usually medicine a little further back…
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Time for debate on maximising pharmacists’ role in improving consumer health outcomes
Pharmacists, doctors and other health professionals need a serious and objective discussion on the future role of pharmacists in the health system, the Acting National President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Joe Demarte, said today. Mr Demarte was responding to calls by the AMA President, Associate Professor Brian Owler, for the Government to immediately…
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AMA Declares War On Pharmacists
The recent publishing by the PGA of “A Healthy Future”, a document expanding on the range of activities that can be performed in a pharmacy setting, and possibly written with 6CPA negotiations in mind, has provoked a blunt response from the AMA. An AMA spokesperson issued a statement recently, slamming the initiatives highlighted in the…
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Health Insurance-get involved
With all the debate over co-payments for doctor’s visits and PBS prescriptions it is easy to lose sight of the primary issue of a sustainable and affordable health system. While pharmacists begin to sort out the business model that will sustain them over the next decade. the consideration and problems involved as to what level…
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The Placebo Effect-a Definition by Seth Godin
Seth Godin has written an article plus an e-book about the placebo effect. As he points out, the placebo used ethically, can have a positive result. He applies placebo principles to items other than drugs, because there is a generic effect as well. Download his e-book found within the placebo link at the bottom of…
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Is AHPRA Failing To Protect Us?
Submitting a complaint against false and misleading claims for therapeutic goods is easy, but the same cannot be said for therapeutic services. While there is still no effective way to challenge unregistered practitioners, the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) was established in 2010, to work in partnership with our National Boards with a “primary…
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Creativity lives in all of us
Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” There’s no shortage of smart people in the world. But there is a shortage of creative people in the world. Thinking is the hardest and most valuable task any person can perform. Don’t stifle it, encourage it. Remember, there’s no correlation between IQ and…
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NPS Medicinewise Reappoints Debbie Rigby To The Board
Consultant pharmacist Ms Debbie Rigby has been reappointed to the NPS MedicineWise board for a third and final three-year term. NPS MedicineWise Chair Dr Janette Randall congratulated Ms Rigby and thanked her for her ongoing commitment to the work of the organisation. “Debbie has been a strong performer for NPS MedicineWise and continually demonstrates her…
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ASMI Media Releases – 1. Osteoporosis 2.Martin Bowles Congratulated
1. ASMI says osteoporosis prevalence statistics highlight importance of calcium and vitamin D for bone healt 4 September 2014 – The Australian Self Medication Industry (ASMI) said estimates of the number of Australians living with osteoporosis highlights the importance of preventing this chronic disease. In its report, Estimating the Prevalence of Osteoporosis in Australia,1 the…