Welcome to this weeks’ edition of i2P (Information to Pharmacists) E-Magazine dated August 31, 2015.
Two important events took place separately on the 24th and 25th of August where the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) and the Australian Pharmacy Council co-sponsored a UK pharmacist (Ravi Sharma) to deliver a talk on his experiences as a Practice Pharmacist at their respective venues.
The PSA Forum attracted representatives from the AMA and the RACGP plus a range of clinical pharmacists already filling various roles in GP practices.
These events signalled two activities – the fact that two pharmacy leadership bodies were collaborating on a single issue and that it also signalled the start of a pharmacist clinical service momentum, with the start point in a GP practice.
The collective word for these activities is “collaboration” and it seemed that the positivity surrounding these activities hopefully puts aside the destructive “turf” issues that have been prominent in recent years.
Many pharmacists, particularly country pharmacists, were unable to attend these events and this highlights a problem that has previously been written about in i2P – the lack of decentralisation of educational events and their high cost.
Clinical pharmacists will need a range of short (weekend) targeted courses to maintain their skills and solidify their colleague network for sharing .of information at the practice level.
The cost of education needs to be very low in cost and subsidised by government as an investment for the servicing of an ageing population.
In fact, for the next five years it should be free until the sector reaches a stable level.
The other requirement is that education should be mobile and delivered regionally.
The fact that these recent avents were city-centric deprived many from being able to attend.
Country pharmacists have to add the cost of an air flight plus accommodation, on top of the event cost.
I2P envisages that long-term, regional groupings of clinical pharmacists may become active in pharmacy research. If the regional groups are bonded through education, the groups will have a sound economic basis.
So while we have the first stirrings of pharmacy leaders starting to take the initiative, there are many logistical problems to resolve, including the support of clinical pharmacists in a community pharmacy or other health care space.
Please read: A Glimmer of Hope – A Tentative Leadership Initiative to discover more on this topic.
We have alsao covered a related issue of how the process of collaboration is dealt with by one US pharmacist. Certainly a community pharmacist would strengthen ties with GP surgeries if liaison was done via a practice pharmacist.
The concept of “group consultations” or “mini seminares” would seem to be an efficient method of patient coordination and “centring”- beneficial to both sides.
Read: Patients First – A Unique Recruitment Process Underpinning Clinical Services Development
We also have a comment on the spectacular success of market-based medicine being able to mandate compulsory vaccination in Victoria.
The lack of community debate surrounding this issue will eventually rebound at the next state election and vulnerable members of the community will be deprived of some of their current entitlements if they don’t comply.
This is coercion.
Coercion involving the mndated use of drugs has been a human right since World War 2 Nazi drug experimentation on human subjects occurred against their will.
Read more at ‘Marketing Based Medicine’ steamrolls ethics and science in proposed Victorian vaccine laws.
And we add that this article has been written by a person working in a sensitive environment and who could be dismissed for a freedom of speech issue such as this.
We have protected his identity as a generic “i2P Staff Writer”.
Australia now is definitely not the democratic country I once knew and through i2P I will continue to stand up for issues covered in our professional codes of conduct, but overruled by coercive legislation.
Many Australians are now looking more seriously at supporting alternative organisations that are starting the long haul to fill the vacuums left by mainstream media.
As I mentioned last week, i2P shares information with a range of Internet publications.
Recently, we discovered one of the first global platforms for information sharing that brings together information sources not covered by mainstream media.
Interestingly, it is an Australian venture with an already significant global reach.
It is organised through:
AOTA Foundation Ltd
AOTA Foundation Ltd is the non profit parent company behind the fast growing Alternative News Project.
PO Box 64 | Montville | QLD Australia 4560
http://alternativenewsproject.org/about-us
From their website the founder says:
“I have created the Alternative News Project (ANP), not as a vehicle to fight the current mainstream manufactured reality, but instead to provide a vehicle for like-minded, independent thinkers, to help create something new. Something better.
Instead of endless searches on the Internet, we will bring you the news, every day, right across the spectrum of hundreds of non-mainstream news Topics.
We have called it a Project, as it is not just about information—it is about the building of a global community through the distribution of information. The ANP is the first time that independent thinkers of the world (i.e. you) have a centralised location not only to see more of what is going on in your world than ever before, but where you also have the opportunity to send alternative news and information from anywhere across the globe.
You are the real key to our project, because by receiving information you can inform others and by contributing your knowledge to us, we can broaden our scope of services around the globe. As such, the ANP is designed to be a community-based interactive news and information project by the people for the people.”
This is one of many sites that will coordinate news and stories that have significance.
Manistream media has already begun to lose its revenue base because of other online competing news media, and this type of site will carve out a significant market share.
I am also aware of a possible formation of a new political party in Australia that will form up around freedom of health issues.
Whilst health is a single issue it currently consumes a significant proportion of Australia’s GDP and affects all demographics in our population, particularly the senior members of our population.
The traditional structures within Australia and the western world in general have failed the people they are supposed to represent.
There is now grass roots movement to replace all these corrupt structures and the people feeding off them.
Gerald Quigley is back with another article illustrating what a major medical journal thinks of the current state of medical evidence.
Read: Peer- Reviewed…..really? and mentally note where you stand on this issue.
What do you plan to do about it yourself?
Given that the current climate in pharmacy is about collaboration and team effort, perhaps a timely contribution from Chris Foster titled Five Reasons Why a Business Fails To Work as a Team, may provide a stimulus for your own preparation and planning.
Loretta Marron is back and describes her experience with an Integrated Medicine doctor in an article titled: Vitamin C Infusions – where’s the evidence?.
Vitamin C has had a long history of safety, so this is a subject that may come up in your own practice. What would your response be?
Read: Vitamin C Infusions – where’s the evidence?
Coincidentally, the Orthomolecular Nutrition news service has published a recent patient experience with vitamin C and other vitamins.
Read their viewpoint in Vitamins and Surgery: The Real Story A Report from the Front. Well, Maybe a Bit Lower.
And finally, we have media releases from the Australian Pharmacy Council (including their regular newsletter) Australian Pharmacy Council Media Release – APC Colloquium 2015 – the cake is baked! and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia – PSA Media Releases – 1. New RUM Project Manager 2. Strong Support for Practice Rx
Enjoy this weeks’ edition.
Neil Johnston
Editor
Monday 31 August, 2015