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The Tide is Turning Against Medical Skeptics, Fraudulent Science and Corrupt Politicians
Editor’s Note: At last the tide is turning against those dupes who have become paid mouthpieces for Big Pharma as their enormous program of duplicity begins to unravel. Researchers like Australia’s Judy Wilyman have documented the facts. But unconventional methods for spreading information for rational and open debate have had to be used because debate…
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Medical postcard from New York, April 2016
Dear Colleagues, I can report that spring has sprung in New York. After a cold start, April has seen a wonderful transition from winter bareness to a colour-wheel of splendid blossoms, bulbs and canopy greenery. Easter was early this year and so were the cherry blossoms which are at their peak over a week before…
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The Corporate Capture of Democracy (and Community Pharmacy)
GetUp! sent me an email that included the following words: “Major corporations in Australia just threatened a $20 million campaign blitz, to hold onto their power and avoid scrutiny of their scandalous conduct. But from the rise of Bernie Sanders, to the fall of Iceland’s tax dodging Prime Minister, there’s a new popular global uprising…
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Switzerland Gets it Right
Switzerland is a country known for its precision and its ability to keep its transport system “on time”. It is a landlocked country so when it decides how it could survive, it basically chose financial services and manufacturing industries that are “light” in weight but high value. Drug manufacture fitted that requirement, as was watch-making.…
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Low dose aspirin – pro or con?
The US Preventative Services Task Force now recommends that all 50 to 70 year olds take a low-dose aspirin for preventing cardiovascular disease. Medical press last week gave this story legs, and I’m puzzled as to why? Current Australian Heart Foundation guidelines reflect the position that there are no or minimal cardiovascular benefits. In fact,…
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The State We Are In
NONE of our so called representative bodies have accepted ANY RESPONSIBILITY for the downright dismal and depressing state the so called Pharmacy profession finds itself in. The Pharmacy Guild- represents Pharmacy owners who would only comprise some 10-15% of ALL the 29,150 Pharmacists on the AHPRA register (Nov 2015 figures). The Guild has a major…
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How Australia is losing the health fight
Imagine telling the good folk of 1990 that in the near future, we’d be redesigning hospitals to accommodate the influx of obese patients.Or that almost all of our sporting legends would be contractually obliged to advertise alcohol. Or most kids would be driven less than a kilometre to and from school. Twenty-five years ago, these…
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Marketing Focus – Essays on Management & Marketing
HOLD BACK THE TIDE A measure of just how much some union officials are out of touch is the current mass media advertising campaign being conducted by the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association in Western Australia. In essence, it is a personal attack on the West Australian Premier, Colin Barnett, and his legislative initiatives…
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Make points with persuasion
We are in the thick of the most unusual political seasons I can remember. Who would have imagined the slate of hopefuls that spans the spectrum? And what will it take for the candidates to convince voters that they should lead the country?Qualifications? Sure. Campaign promises? Perhaps. Appearance? Doesn’t hurt. The best opposition research? Not…
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Fast Food Leading the way – Annihilate Dispensing or Enhance it?
The fast food industry is rapidly moving to replace employees with robots to eliminate payroll, health benefits and human unreliability. It will prove to be a template for pharmacy evolution and it’s under way right now. Also, it’s very likely that, within your professional lifetime, you’re going to see a huge revolution in robotics. It…