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Hysteria personified – the perceived “anti-statin” cult!
Well, it’s finally happened. The demand that every single Australian over 40 be placed on statin therapy hasn’t been fulfilled. Questions being being asked by patients include: Can you explain the different particle sizes of the cholesterol reading you have, and explain where the risk lies…..is it really all about HDL and LDL? You have…
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Health Literacy – A Concept for a Valid Direction for Community Pharmacy
Recently, I had a conversation with a health professional involved in the public health system. Research had emerged that large pockets of populations were experiencing epidemic levels of chronic illness such as obesity, diabetes, asthma, and heart disease. These population pockets correlated with areas of low socio-economic households where people had generally poor diets and…
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Do we exclude our oldest customers?
People over the age of 85 are significantly more likely to suffer social exclusion than those in the 65 to 85-year-old bracket, according to new research. We know that a loss of social contact can damage physical and mental health, and furthermore, older people are more likely to need care from external providers. Let’s look…
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The Start-Point for Community Pharmacy Clinical Services – The Walgreen Model
There is no doubt that when an individual undertakes fitness training they measurably do better if they have a fitness coach supervising the process. And it works even better if there is some form of reward attached when goals are reached. Jenny Craig weight loss programs would not have the success they have had without…
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How pharmaceutical marketing is harming us, and the seven reforms we need now
“I may sound like a conspiracy theorist nut when I say this but the pharmaceutical companies are master manipulators…” begins Dr Martin Whitely, Senior Advocate for the WA based Health Consumers Council. “… They rip off Australian taxpayers via the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and pull the wool over the eyes of drug safety regulators everywhere.”…
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Australia a new growth market for cannabis
Australia has been flagged as a growth market for medical cannabis. A company that has listed on the Australian Securities Exchange hopes to capitalise on a growing worldwide demand for medicinal cannabis. Clinical trials are currently being organised in NSW and announcements are expected around mid-2015. According to Chicago cannabis industry attorney Davis Legal, PLLC,…
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Precision Medicine – Pharmacy needs to get a move on
Primary health care teams in the US are currently being considered for the promotion of personalised medicine based on gene analysis. This has to be pharmacist territory, but given the time lag of pharmacist leadership organisations, Australian pharmacists may again miss the boat by not having decentralised training systems to be able to deliver suitable…
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The Huge Information Disconnect in Primary Health Care
The world is beginning to wake up to the resource that comprises pharmacy as the Medicines Use Review (MUR) program in the UK has just been “discovered” by health planners. Australia, of course, has had Home Medicines Reviews successfully in place for well over a decade now, but they are a well kept secret between…
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Nurse practitioners ‘fill a gap’ in aged care
Editor’s Note:Nurse Practitioners established themselves as independent practitioners with prescribing rights about 12 years ago.Since that date they have been exploring opportunities for an expanded nurse practitioner role. Pharmacists on the other hand, while capable of an independent role and actually demonstrating that role through the development of Home Medicines Reviews (and derivatives) have been…
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NPS Media Releases – Movember Men’s Health
4 November 2014 NPS MEDICINEWISE: MEN’S HEALTH ADVICE THIS MOVEMBER As the global men’s health awareness month Movember gets underway for 2014, the latest issue of Medicinewise Living fromNPS MedicineWise advises men to make sure they are being medicinewise. Take stock of your health this Movember and make sure you are keeping your medicines in working order by thinking…