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Foster respect to improve results
One of my favorite old comedians, the late Rodney Dangerfield, was famous for his line, “I get no respect.” Then he would usually add a line like, “I remember when I was a kid and played hide-and- seek. The other kids wouldn’t even look for me.” If you want those who work with you to…
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The Intergenerational Report – One for the Nation and One for Pharmacy?
The 2015 Intergenerational Report projects a range of issues that will have interest and impact on the pharmacy profession. It has taken a few attempts to get the Intergenerational Report to a reasonable degree of acceptance because of previous high levels of inaccuracy. Those high-levels of inaccuracy impacted the thinking and projections of government in…
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Gender Equality, Professional Pharmacist Equality and All Health Equality – Same problem, different label
Today, I randomly tuned in to an ABC program that marked the United Nations (UN) International Women’s Day. It marked the 20th anniversary of the first forum that was held in Beijing. The forum lamented that women had not advanced their cause (gender equality) since that first forum and still lagged behind in salary and…
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Practice, practice, practice – perfectly
Everyone thinks practice makes perfect. That’s wrong. Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi said you have to add one word – “Perfect practice makes perfect.” I heard a man complaining that he had ten years of experience at work but never got promoted. Here’s the real question. Did he have ten years of experience? Or did…
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Saving Health – and Pharmacy if you can find it
I don’t know whether this is unique just to me or because I have a long and clear memory of pharmaceutical events since my entry to the profession in 1956. But I get very angry when I see a national TV program supposedly involving all of “health” where none of the participants are pharmacists! Nada!…
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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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Business lessons from George Washington
As a history major, I am intrigued by the origins of our great country. George Washington is a logical place to start. This week we celebrate his birthday with Abraham Lincoln’s as Presidents Day – the third Monday in February. But what do we really know about this founding father who led our country through the…
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Downstream From Hospital Re-admissions
The US hospital system has finally discovered its pharmacy department in respect of its ability to help in the prevention of re-admissions – a very costly exercise. Of course, frustrated hospital pharmacists, both in the US and here in Australia, knew that this was feasible. However, the system here in Australia seems to be permanently…
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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…