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society news
Baby boomers risky vintage
Pharmacists honoured
Peninsula Health’s Older Wiser Lifestyles
(OWL) program is Australia’s first older adult
specific alcohol and other drug service.
We applaud Peter Waterman’s article in
the April issue of Australian Pharmacist
since it raises awareness of the under
reported issue of alcohol‑related harms
among older Australians. As Mr Waterman
notes, lack of adequate screening is a key
barrier to identification. However, a useful
screening tool that was not addressed
by Mr Waterman is the Alcohol-Related
Problems Survey (ARPS).
PSA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient,
Gerard Stevens, was further honoured in the
Queen’s birthday honours list last month
when he was made a Member (AM) in the
General Division of the Order of Australia
for significant service to the pharmaceutical
industry and to community health.
Developed at UCLA especially for older
adults, the ARPS is a computerised
screening tool that identifies hazardous
and harmful alcohol consumption using
176 algorithms. These algorithms consider
alcohol consumption within the context
of various categories of prescription
and over‑the-counter medication use,
in addition to medical history and
functionality. It provides the older
adult with an individualised report and
information about how they might reduce
their risk factors.
The OWL program has recalibrated the
ARPS for Australian standard drinks and also
updated the medications for the Australian
context. The new Australian ARPS software
has been beta tested and piloted in local GP
clinics and wards in hospital settings. We are
currently assessing the psychometric
properties of the Australian ARPS.
The Australian ARPS can be freely accessed
by contacting Katherine Walsh from the
OWL program on (03) 9784 8109. We think
that it is a valuable tool and hope to see it
utilised widely.
Stephen Bright & Katherine Walsh
Stephen Bright is Senior Clinician within Peninsula
Health’s Drug and Alcohol Program, Frankston, Victoria.
Katherine Walsh is Team Leader of Peninsula Health’s
Older Wiser Lifestyles (OWL) program, Frankston,
Victoria.
Letters to the Editor
Letters are invited from anyone
wishing to comment on articles
or issues relevant to pharmacy.
However, any letters judged by the
Editor to be potentially defamatory
will not be published. Letters should
be no more than 300 words long.
They can be emailed to the Editor at
[email protected]
6
Mr Stevens introduced
the Webster system
that reduces nursing
home medication
administration errors,
allows collaboration
with allied health
professionals, reduces
medication wastage and government costs,
and encourages better use of pharmacists’
clinical and educative skills. He has
been managing director of Webstercare
Medication Management Systems since
the 1980s, Chair of the Dean’s Community
Pharmacy Reference Group, University of
Sydney, since 2009 and a technical adviser
to the Department of Health and Ageing for
several years.
Mr Stevens has also addressed compliance
in Aboriginal communities. An example of
the success of the Webster system Clamshell
is compliance in the Tiwi Islands where
medication collection alone has increased to
more than 60%.
Better business results
Better customer service
Better staff training
Better be part of Self Care!
Self
Care
P: 1300
369restructured,
772 » www.psa.org.au/selfcare
relaunched
PSA’s Self Care program has been
reinvigorated and restructured
and relaunched.
After extensive consultation with
Self Care members and staff the new Self
Care was launched at CPExpo last month.
PSA National President Grant Kardachi
said the relaunch involved major
improvements to the program, as well as
new features and initiatives.
Pharmacist, Dr Lynn
Weekes, CEO of NPS
Medicinewise, since
1998 has also been
made a Member (AM)
in the General Division
of the Order of Australia
for significant service to
community health through the promotion of
quality use of medicines.
He said that Self Care has evolved
because the pharmacy sector is always
evolving and the profession needs to
keep pace with these changes.
PSA National President, Grant Kardachi,
congratulated Dr Weekes and Mr Stevens
on their recognition in the Queen’s Birthday
Honours List.
‘Self Care has evolved because the
pharmacy sector is always evolving – and
we as a profession need to keep pace with
these changes. We have also listened to
Self Care pharmacies about what they
want from the program and so we have
moved to make sure that as many of
these improvements are incorporated
into the new-look Self Care as possible,’
Mr Kardachi said.
‘Both Dr Weekes and Mr Stevens are
most deserving of this award and both
epitomise the high standards, dedication
and commitment that is a feature of the
profession in Australia. They are both great
examples of the very high standards that
consistently make the profession one of
the most trusted professions in Australia
and their example is one which provides
inspiration to all other pharmacists.’
Mr Kardachi said.
Australian Pharmacist July 2013 I © Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd.
‘Self Care feels like an old friend to many
of us so rest assured you are not losing
that old friend. That old friend is still
there but revitalised, reinvigorated and
refocussed for you.
‘We are listening to what you, our
members, want. And we have improved
the program because we want all
of our members to have access to
society news
these resources to improve their
pharmacy business.’
Mr Kardachi said features of the new
Self Care included that the full program
and its components would only be
available to PSA members and that
components of the program could now
be purchased individually.
‘In addition, we have introduced the
Self Care eFactCards.
‘Self Care’s already popular Fact Cards
are now online and accessible in-store
from any desktop, laptop or tablet device.
The eFactCards are designed to save
space in your pharmacy and provide
choice in how to access these to fit your
pharmacy’s workflow.
‘A new feature is that you can now email
information to customers – taking your
pharmacy’s service beyond the pharmacy
doors. You can also brand the eFactCards
with your own pharmacy details,
effectively making them ‘your’ eFactCards.
‘We have also introduced a major new
resource into the Self Care family – our
ACTION kits. These are topic-based
resources designed to support in-store
health promotions and implementation
of new professional services, enabling
access to new income streams.
‘They are an all-in-one pharmacy toolkit
with promotional materials such as
posters (available in a variety of sizes)
and appointment cards branded to your
pharmacy.’ Mr Kardachi said.
Details of Self Care are available at the
PSA website at psa.org.au/selfcare
Removal from list welcomed
The list facilitates Australian migration for
people covered by occupations included
in the list.
PSA National President Grant Kardachi
said that removing pharmacists from the
list would help to consolidate the current
pharmacy workforce in Australia.
‘PSA has been advocating for better
opportunities for the pharmacy
workforce. In a submission for the
2013 list we stated that the pharmacy
workforce was already in oversupply in
metropolitan areas,’ he said.
‘These views are informed in particular
by the rapid increase in the number of
pharmacy schools and the resultant
increase in their output of graduates that
has occurred since 1997.’
Mr Kardachi said PSA would continue to
seek solutions to the mal-distribution
of pharmacists.
‘It is apparent that the rural programs
funded through successive Community
Pharmacy Agreements are yet to succeed
in ensuring a sustainable supply of
pharmacists in rural Australia. Consumers
living in rural areas deserve better,’
he said.
NSW vaccination moves
welcomed
Moves by the NSW Government to
ensure children are vaccinated have been
welcomed by the Society.
The NSW move will see unvaccinated
children face exclusion from the state’s
childcare facilities under new laws to be
introduced by the NSW Government.
The announcement that pharmacists
have been removed from the Skills
Occupation List has been welcomed by
the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.
PSA President Grant Kardachi said the
decision by the Government to introduce
legislation to maximise the number of
children being vaccinated was good
health policy.
The Australian Department of
Immigration and Citizenship, announced
a revised Skills Occupations List for the
purposes of migrating to Australia under
the skilled migration program last month.
‘Despite some opinions to the contrary,
the overwhelming clinical and scientific
evidence is that vaccinations are both
safe and effective,’ Mr Kardachi said.
The revised is effective from 1 July.
Both hospital pharmacists and
community pharmacists have been
removed from the list.
‘This move sends a clear message
to parents that their children must
be vaccinated to attend a childcare
facility or they’ll need to get an
approved exemption.’
Mr Kardachi said the PSA had issued
guidelines for providing immunisation
services with a view to promoting best
practice and the delivery of high-quality
immunisation services in pharmacies and
ensure that no gaps exist in this public
health program.
The PSA’s Practice guidelines for the
provision of immunisation services
within pharmacy provide guidance
to pharmacists on professional issues
and obligations related to hosting
immunisation services within the
pharmacy setting.
‘These guidelines are very relevant in
the context of the current situation,’
Mr Kardachi said.
‘These new guidelines promote specific
policies and protocols designed to
ensure safe and effective channels of
communication between healthcare
providers. PSA supports immunisation
as both a public health program and as a
means of managing an individual’s and in
particular a child’s, health’.
Australian Pharmacist July 2013 I © Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd.
7
society news
Kardachi re-elected
Grant Kardachi has
been re-elected
as PSA National
President for a third
one year term.
The PSA Board
also re-elected
Vice‑Presidents
Dr Claire O’Reilly and Joe Demarte.
Mr Kardachi, from South Australia,
Dr O’Reilly from NSW and Joe Demarte
from Victoria enter their third year on
the executive. The appointments were
confirmed during the PSA national Board
meeting held in Canberra in mid-June.
A patient perspective with humour
There is nothing funny about Crohn’s
disease but when comedian Luke
Escombe combines humour with
first‑hand anecdotes and experiences,
he presents a compelling narrative
of what life is like as a Crohn’s
disease sufferer.
This year you can hear Luke’s story at
PAC 13 where he will speak during a
session dealing with gastrointestinal
issues.
Luke is a musician, comedian and chronic
illness ambassador who spent most of
2009 at home on the couch recovering
from serious illness.
He returned to the music scene with a
fresh attitude and two innovative live
EPs in 2010: Chronic Illness and Live in
the Studio. His comedy began to attract
attention for its candid discussion of
Crohn’s disease and he will build on this
during his PAC13 presentation.
Luke’s story of living with Crohn’s disease
is riveting and he explains what people
living with inflammatory bowel disease
need from pharmacy to help manage their
condition.
Pharmacists will leave the session with
more of an understanding of what it is like
for people living with inflammatory bowel
disease and how they can help consumers
when they present to pharmacy.
Luke Escombe is one of a wide range
of expert speakers at PAC13 which this
8
year has moved to Brisbane. The theme
for PAC13 is ONE profession, ONE focus,
ONE voice which will focus on unity in the
profession, in the delivery of services and in
the goal of better health outcomes. These
are the keys to the profession growing in the
future and remaining viable and sustainable
while continuing to improve the health and
wellbeing of the population.
‘Luke’s story of living
with Crohn’s disease is
riveting and he explains
what people living
with inflammatory
bowel disease need
from pharmacy to help
manage their condition.’
In addition to a great CPD program
and leading speaker list, PAC13 will
coincide with the 4th Global Drug Safety
Conference and Exposition being held at
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
from 14-16 October 2013 and which
will look at Revitalising Drug Safety –
The Decade of the Patient.
PAC13 will be held at the Brisbane
Convention & Exhibition Centre from
10‑13 October. To register visit psa.org.
au/pac
Australian Pharmacist July 2013 I © Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd.
Mr Kardachi said he was honoured to be
re-elected and looked forward to leading
PSA during a challenging period for
the profession.
‘We have already faced a tough year
during which we encountered many
serious challenges, and at times
obstacles, to the growth of the profession.
As we enter the phase when we must
negotiate the next Community Pharmacy
Agreement, I expect that we will
continue to faces challenges, but in those
challenges will be opportunities.
‘I also look forward to a new era of
cooperation and collaboration between
all the representative groups of the
pharmacy profession so that we can work
together for the good of the profession as
a whole.’
Mr Kardachi thanked his two
Vice‑Presidents for their work and support
over the past year.
‘Dr O’Reilly and Mr Demarte have
been instrumental in ensuring PSA has
continued to grow and meet the needs
of its members. In fact we are now at
historically high membership numbers
and while this gives us strength, it also
gives us responsibilities and as an
Executive we are focused on this and on
meeting the business and professional
needs of our members,’ he said.
NEWs
Vale Jim Beovich
By Andrew Daniels
Australian pharmacy lost a true gentleman
and respected innovator in April when Jim
Beovich died after a brief illness in Melbourne.
He was 79 years old.
Pharmacy to Pacific people
A young Rockhampton pharmacist is
working beyond his normal career scope
and delivering much needed medicines
to the sick on remote Pacific islands
and villages as part of an international
humanitarian project.
ship as well so that alone has been a new
experience,’ John added.
John Parr is a 25-year-old Lieutenant
deployed on board Royal Australian Navy
ship HMAS Tobruk to render humanitarian
aid to remote townships in Papua New
Guinea and islands as a part of Pacific
Partnership 2013. The international
humanitarian mission comprises Defence
personnel and volunteers from Australia,
the Unites States, Canada, France, Japan,
Malaysia and New Zealand
Pacific Partnership 2013 is an annual
US-sponsored humanitarian and civic
assistance mission aimed at strengthening
international relationships with partner and
host nations in the Asia-Pacific.
John is posted to 11 Close Health Company
at Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane and
has joined the international mission as
a pharmacist and part of the medical
contingent providing medical, dental and
veterinary aid in the townships of Wewak
and Vanimo.
After finishing his schooling at Frenchville
State School and North Rockhampton
High School, John joined the army in 2007
and received undergraduate university
sponsorship to study at the University
of Queensland.
‘I joined the army to work outside of the
normal day to day conditions and an
overseas deployment represents exactly
that opportunity’, he said.
‘I deployed to Nauru last year as a part
of Operation Resolute which was a good
learning experience so another chance
to work in the field for Pacific Partnership
was fantastic. It’s my first time on a Navy
10
In addition to becoming a fully qualified
pharmacist, John has also received
qualifications in combat first aid and
adventurous training.
In addition to HMAS Tobruk’s deployment to
Papua New Guinea, USS Pearl Harbor of the
United States Navy will deploy to Samoa,
Tonga and the Marshall Islands while
HMNZS Canterbury provides aid to Kiribati
and the Solomon Islands.
While in Wewak and Vanimo Australian
Defence Force medical personnel will work
with their counterparts from the United
States Army and United States Navy to
provide aid as well as run clinics and health
fairs for locals, and update medical training
for local medical practitioners.
A proud pharmacist, Mr Beovich was also a
qualified chiropractor, acupuncturist and a
successful businessman. He first made his
mark in pharmacy in the 1950s as a board
member of Amcal. After becoming Board
Chairman in 1957 he set about changing
some of Amcal’s less efficient practices.
He will be remembered by many pharmacists
as an active mentor of interns and newly
registered pharmacists. He even wrote his
own handbook to use for training.
In an interview in 2007 he told Australian
Pharmacist1 that he ran each of his professions
separately not in parallel.
While keeping up to date with continuing
education for pharmacy, chiropractics
and acupuncture to maintain registration
was quite a task in itself, pharmacy always
remained his passion.
‘My interest has always been in pharmacy and
in the advancement of pharmacy,’ he said in
the 2007 interview.
Over the years he owned and sold more than
15 pharmacies and still owned one in 2007.
He retired five years ago but according to his
wife Marion always kept up to date with his
continuing education and never relinquished
his registration as a pharmacist.
An Australian Army engineering team will
work with members of the United States
Navy’s Amphibious Construction Battalion
to conduct maintenance, repairs and
refurbishment to schools, used by nearly
5,000 children in Vanimo and Wewak.
Volunteers from HMAS Tobruk’s crew will
also refurbish sports facilities and public
buildings for the two remote townships
which have a combined population of
approximately 40,000 people. HMAS Tobruk
will return from its Pacific Partnership
deployment in late July.
Reference
See Medicines in camouflage page 22.
1. Caulfied J. A Jim of all trades. Australian Pharmacist Nov
2007;26(11):860–1.
Australian Pharmacist July 2013 I © Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd.
He also had a keen eye on the future of
pharmacy. He told Australian Pharmacist in
2007 that there was a standard saying that
pharmacy is at the crossroads. ‘It’s been at the
crossroads ever since I’ve been in pharmacy.
But the only way I can see it progressing now
is by the provision of professional service.’
Jim Beovich will be missed by the many
pharmacists and friends in the profession he
made over his long and distinguished career.
News
News Briefs
APF23 Editorial Board
announced
GDS abstract call
Emeritus Professor
Lloyd Sansom AO
will again head
the editorial board
of the Australian
Pharmaceutical
Formulary and
Handbook for the
23rd edition (APF23) which is due out
in 2015.
The final date for submission of
abstracts for presentation at the
Global Drug Safety Conference
(GDS) has been extended to 31 July
to enable a wider range of work
to be submitted for presentation.
Abstracts on the following topics are
invited for consideration as oral or
poster presentations: The Safe Drug:
Discovery and Distribution; Medication
Safety: Systems and Practice; Safe
Medicine: Safe Patient. Submissions
will be accepted on the basis that
at least one presenter must register
and attend the conference. All papers
accepted for presentation both oral
and poster will be included in the
conference proceedings. To submit
your abstract visit www.gds2013.org.
APC appoinments
The Australian Pharmacy Council (APC)
has confirmed the reappointment
of John Low and John Jackson to
the APC Council. New members of
the Accreditation and Examining
Committees were also announced.
They are Professor Rhonda Clifford,
Professor of Pharmacy at the
University of Western Australia and
Dr Rohan Rasiah, Associate Professor
in Pharmacy at the University
of Newcastle.
PAs lowest paid
Pharmacy sales assistants earn an
average of $39,369 per year and are
among the country’s lowest paid
workers according to Australian Bureau
of Statistics data on the average gross
earnings of full-time non‑managerial
adult employees. They are the lowest
paid sales assistants in Australia,
earning less than motor vehicle
sales assistants ($68,260), IT and
computer sales assistants ($52,780),
service station attendants ($52,348),
street vendors ($51,423), checkout
operators ($47,850) and general retail
sales assistants ($42,962).
12
Announcing the editorial board members,
PSA National President, Grant Kardachi,
said the board included pharmacists
from pharmacy academia, hospital
pharmacy, consultant pharmacy and
community pharmacy.
‘This is an exceptionally high-quality
editorial board and its members have a
diverse range and duration of experience
which will help further enhance the
outstanding reputation of this important
reference work. APF23 will build on the
content of the previous editions and
continue to evolve and develop to meet
the changing needs and dynamics of
the profession.
‘The three new members of the Editorial
Board are Lisa Nissen, Michael Ward and
Elise Taylor,’ Mr Kardachi said.
He thanked David Cosh and Marlene
Cutajar, members of the APF22 board,
who are not returning to the APF23
board, for their valuable contribution to
the present edition.
• Professor Ross McKinnon, Director
and Professor in Cancer Research at
Flinders University
• Adam Phillips, Good health choices
pharmacist for Chemplus, member of
TGA Advisory Committee on the Safety
of Medicines and previously specialist
pharmacist at SA Health Women’s and
Children’s Hospital
• Grant Martin, CEO of the Australian
Association of Consultant Pharmacy
and a community pharmacist
• Michelle Lynch, pharmacist consultant
for PharmConsult and PSA Victorian
Branch President
• Professor Lisa Nissen, Head of School,
Clinical Sciences at the Queensland
University of Technology
• Dr Michael Ward, senior lecturer at
the University of SA and previously
pharmacist at Royal Adelaide Hospital
• Elise Taylor, pharmacist manager at
Capital Chemist Wanniassa, ACT.
Deirdre’s dedication
recognised
By Andrew Daniels
Western Australian
accredited pharmacist
Deirdre Criddle was
named as the winner
of the 2013 AACP
Pfizer Consultant
Pharmacist of the
Year Award.
The Chair, Emeritus Professor Lloyd
Sansom AO, was head of the School
of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences at
the University of SA from 1995–2000
and is a representative on a wide range
of government and industry advisory
groups. Other members of the board are:
She was presented with her award during
the conference dinner at the Australian
Association of Consultant Pharmacy (AACP)
annual seminar ConPharm ‘13, held in
Adelaide last month.
• Associate Professor Louis
Roller, Associate Professor at
Monash University
‘I am just doing my job like so many of
my colleagues who do so much without
reward. I will just have to make sure that I
am worthy of all this.
• Professor Jeffrey Hughes, Head of
School of Pharmacy Curtin University,
co-owner of a community pharmacy,
practising accredited pharmacist
• Professor Andrew McLachlan, Professor
of Pharmacy (Aged Care) in the Faculty
of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney
Australian Pharmacist July 2013 I © Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd.
She told Australian Pharmacist that the
award was totally unexpected.
‘I love what I do, and I am so proud to be a
part of this profession in a complex system
which is evolving and hopefully becoming
more and more important in the patient
landscape every day,’ she said.
News
‘I believe HMRs are worth fighting for, and
that is what we must do. They don’t belong
to us. They belong to the patients. We have
to keep our heads high, and if we continue
to act in the best interests of our patients,
I know we can prevail. These [HMRs] are the
best kept secret in health and we have a
duty to get [knowledge of] them out there
for all the right reasons,’ she said.
The award recognises an outstanding
contribution by an accredited pharmacist
to the practice of consultant pharmacy.
It includes a medallion and certificate,
plus a travel grant to the value of $10,000
to attend an international pharmacy
conference of relevance to the practice of
consultant pharmacy.
The award was presented by AACP
Chair Paul Sinclair and Nick Goodwin,
Commercial Portfolio Manager, Global
Brands, Established Products Business Unit
of Pfizer Australia.
They said that Deirdre was recognised as
an outstanding and unique consultant
pharmacist who as clinician, researcher,
mentor and educator has promoted the
profession and contributed extensively to
improve the quality of care for patients.
She was commended for her passion,
optimism, enthusiasm, professionalism and
sensitivity to the circumstances of patients.
Deidre Criddle is also the 2012 PSA
Pharmacist of the Year.
Australian Pharmacist
on top of the world
It’s official Australian
Pharmacist is read as far
afield as Nepal. PSA member
Tamara Filmer (pictured)
lives in Surkhet, 600 km west
of Katmandu. She works at
the local hospital and faces
some amazing challenges
every day when dispensing
and counselling hospital
patients and the people in
her community. As you can
see even finding a quiet place
to read uninterrupted can
be a challenge. You can read
about Tamara’s life in Surkhet
in next month’s issue of
Australian Pharmacist.
Three keys to better health
To get his message across about what is
needed to obtain better health outcomes
Professor Kamal Midha, immediate past
president of the International Pharmacy
Federation (FIP), used an image of a small
red tricycle when he delivered the annual
Barry L Reed Lecture at Monash University’s
Parkville Campus last month.
The tricycle’s back two wheels,
he designated as science and practice
which can be adjusted to move the front
wheel, education, to deliver a whole
system’s patient-centred approach to
health care.
It was an image that resonated with
the capacity audience of pharmacy
professionals, academic staff and students
who attended the presentation.
Professor Midha
identified one of the
challenges for the
science component
of his trilogy for
improving health
outcomes as the
need to change the
emphasis of the healthcare spend.
‘Currently more than 30% of the global
health care spend is expended on just three
diseases, while some 30 other neglected
diseases kill more than 11,000,000 people
worldwide every year,’ he said.
The challenge for practice, according to
Professor Midha is to improve access to
essential medicines and to adhere to clinical
guidelines when treating common diseases.
‘Less than two-thirds of children suffering
from diarrhoea are provided with oral
rehydration therapy, while more than
40% are treated with antibiotics, often
unnecessarily,’ he said.
On the access front, Professor Midha
cited World Health Organization statistics
that show more than 30% of the world’s
population lacks regular access to
medicines, with this figure rising to more
than 50% in parts of Africa and Asia despite
the increasing availability of low cost
generic medicines.
‘While essential medicines are only one
element in the continuum of health
care provision, they are a vital element,’
Professor Midha said.
When it comes to education as a means of
boosting health outcomes, Professor Midha
expressed his concern about the capacity
of countries where there is limited local
education to deliver research into local
solutions because of the lack of pharmacists
to support the implementation.
While Australia is in the fortunate position
of having 12 pharmacists for every
10,000 people, there is in fact a worldwide
shortage of pharmacists.
‘There are two pharmacists per
1,000,000 population in Somalia for
example and 250 per 1,000,000 in South
Africa,’ he said.
The 2012 Global Pharmacy Workforce
Report commissioned by FIP shows that
in the 82 countries surveyed there are
just 2,500,000 pharmacists servicing over
1.3 billion people.
Professor Midha’s message for professional
associations, global health organisations
and higher education bodies around
the world was to take a focused and
collaborative approach to improving
pharmacy practice and science to enable
better discovery and development.
Governments must also act to provide
better access to cost effective quality
medicines while simultaneously improving
the use of existing medicines to provide the
best possible health care for patients.
Australian Pharmacist July 2013 I © Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd.
13
profile
The government
option
By Peter Waterman
Many young pharmacists emerging from university may be somewhat
disenchanted with what is happening in the retail sector of the profession,
and this is prompting them to look for alternative career avenues.
This is the view of Huy Nguyen, a young
Canberra-based pharmacist who has
chosen to pursue a pharmacy career
path in government rather than the more
traditional areas of community pharmacy
and hospital pharmacy.
Huy moved into the Federal Government
area after studying a double degree in
pharmacy and commerce at Monash
University and whilst completing a
Graduate Diploma in Health Economics
and Policy.
Huy sees the current retail pharmacy
work environment as being a potential
source of low job satisfaction for some
young pharmacists.
‘I was completing a Grad Dip in Health
Economics at Monash University and I
thought I should do something relevant
to that,’ he explains.
Retail dissatisfaction
‘So now I work at the Department of
Health and Ageing in the Pharmaceutical
Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC)
Secretariat and get to have a lot of
hands‑on experience dealing with
submissions from pharmaceutical
companies seeking to have their new and
wonderful drug listed on the PBS.’
‘I see a lot of graduate pharmacists
coming through who simply are not
satisfied with retail pharmacy. The reasons
are varied, but seem to concentrate
around low wages, long work hours,
difficulties in entering into ownership,
provision of non-health related services,
and a lack of job satisfaction arising
from high-volume dispensing if one
finds themselves in such a pharmacy.
The emergence of large discount
pharmacies is not helping the job
satisfaction side of things for non-owner
pharmacists,’ Huy says.
14
The PBAC is an independent expert body
appointed by the Australian Government.
Members include doctors, health
professionals, health economists and
consumer representatives.
Its primary role is to recommend
new medicines for listing on the
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
Australian Pharmacist July 2013 I © Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd.
(PBS). No new medicine can be listed
unless the committee makes a positive
recommendation. The PBAC meets three
times a year, usually in March, July and
November. When recommending a
medicine for listing, the PBAC takes into
account the medical conditions for which
the medicine was registered for use in
Australia, its clinical effectiveness, safety
and cost-effectiveness (‘value for money’)
compared with other treatments.
‘The emergence
of large discount
pharmacies is not
helping the job
satisfaction side of
things for non-owner
pharmacists.’
‘My current role is quite varied and may
include anything from meeting with
pharmaceutical companies to providing
advice on their PBS-listing submissions,’
Huy explains.
‘It also includes evaluating and providing
advice to the PBAC on proposed
PBS‑restrictions in terms of relevance to
clinical practice, trial evidence and risk
to Government in terms of unexpected
costs, meeting minute-taking and
publication of PBAC Public Summary
Documents, to the preparation of
correspondence to Ministers, members
of parliament, doctors, and the general
public on why or why not certain drugs
are listed on the PBS.
profile
‘You really have to stand out from
the crowd. Your university pharmacy
degree will hold you in good stead if
you are happy to work as a community
pharmacist or a hospital pharmacist and
they can be good and satisfying careers
for some, but in the non-traditional roles
you need post-graduate qualifications to
‘A challenge for government in recruiting
good pharmacists is that the Federal
Government is based in Canberra,
so sometimes the right people may
have to relocate and that can be a real,
practical problem.
‘A pharmacist could try their hand at the
state government level but the scope for
relevant pharmacy positions seems to be
much less than compared to the federal
level,’ he says.
JULY 2013
CPD:
The nervous
system
Insomnia relief naturally
Balancing the dream-weaving with evidence
‘If a young pharmacist came to me
seeking advice on how to get into
government or industry I would advise
them to further add to their skills and
this might mean taking up post-graduate
courses that are particularly relevant to
the areas they are seeking to get into,’
he says.
‘‘I get to see a lot
of the new drugs
coming through
before the general
public or healthcare
professionals get to
see them, so it is quite
exciting.’
AUSTRALIA’S MOST CLOSELY READ PHARMACY JOURNAL
Ethical dilemmas
The nervous system
Huy believes post-graduate study is a key
to success and a path to non-traditional
pharmacy roles, as it enables young
pharmacists to differentiate themselves
from other pharmacy graduates. He says
his particular course gave him specialist
knowledge and specific understanding
for the area he now works in.
He concedes, however, that there
is always a hurdle for the Federal
Government in attracting the right calibre
of pharmacists to work in the department.
July 2013
Stand out from the crowd
stand out from other BPharm holders and
even BScience or related degree holders.’
AUSTRALIAN PHARMACIST
‘I get to see a lot of the new drugs coming
through before the general public or
healthcare professionals get to see them,
so it is quite exciting. Working with a lot of
other pharmacists in the Department and
distinguished health professionals such
as the current PBAC Chair, Dr Suzanne Hill,
and the former Chair, Emeritus Professor
Lloyd Sansom, have been a motivational
source. Being in Government, profit
maximisation is not a driving business
objective and not having to focus on or
worry about this aspect of operations
is also an advantage of working in
government,’ Huy says.
Jenny and the tourist
Balancing the
dream-weaving
with evidence
V32#7
J U L 2013
PRINT POST APPROVED
PP 299436/00147
Australian Pharmacist
welcomes all PSWA members
Australian Pharmacist has achieved
a milestone in its history this month.
Starting with this issue Australian
Pharmacist will be distributed to all
members of the Pharmaceutical Society
of Western Australia (PSWA).
In the past PSWA members had to
subscribe to Australian Pharmacist.
This means an extra 1,500 pharmacists in
WA will join PSA members in being able
to access the award winning CPD section
of the journal and everything else it has
to offer.
Even more exciting for Australian
Pharmacist is the fact that it will increase
its circulation to mirror the full PSA
membership of 18,000 plus.
Australian Pharmacist July 2013 I © Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd.
15
News
Interim Guild president
seek to improve healthcare access in a
cost‑efficient way.’
Victorian community pharmacist George
Tambassis has been appointed as Interim
Council Nominee for Pharmacy Guild (PGA)
National President which becomes vacant
in October
He said that the recent Federal
Government Budget acknowledged
that PBS cost-saving measures would
deliver billions of dollars more than
expected. However, he didn’t believe
the community pharmacy network
could stand-up to the massive resources
being drawn from it and had asked the
Pharmacy Guild to renegotiate some of it
back from government.
He was appointed at the June meeting of
the Pharmacy Guild National Council after
the current National President, Kos Sclavos,
announced in April that he will step down
in October.
Mr Tambassis has
been the President of
the Guild’s Victorian
Branch since 2011.
He is a working
pharmacist with
25 years’ experience,
who owns pharmacies
in rural and suburban Victoria.
According to a PGA statement the
appointment of an Interim Council
Nominee was to provide a smooth
transition. It is intended that the nominee
will spend considerable time between now
and October visiting the Branches, meeting
pharmacy, political and other stakeholders
around Australia, and building a strong
relationship with the National Secretariat.
Mr Tambassis said he was humbled by the
responsibility that National Council has
given him.
‘I am looking forward to receiving Members’
input, and to hearing any concerns they
have, wherever they may be’.
Mr Sclavos congratulated Mr Tamabassis on
his appointment.
‘As National President I have seen George’s
collaborative approach at first hand. He has a passion for the ongoing viability
of community pharmacy and the role
of pharmacists’.
PSA National President, Grant Kardachi,
also congratulated Mr Tambassis on
his appointment.
‘I have met George on several occasions and
we have had very good discussions about
pharmacy and the future of the profession.
George has a great passion for community
pharmacy as well as a pragmatic and
realistic approach as to what we as a
profession need to do to work towards
securing a sustainable and viable future.
16
An age of bewilderment
By Andrew Daniels
Pharmacy appears to be in an age of
bewilderment with all the structural
changes besetting the professional and
commercial sides of pharmacy according
to NSW Branch President, John Bronger.
Speaking at the opening of the PSA
CPExpo in Sydney last month he said
many pharmacists were worried about
their personal future and that of their
chosen profession.
‘They fear that their professional
capabilities, developed over years of
study and clinical experience, are no
longer valued, and this is reinforced
by the flat pay rates. They fear that the
pharmacies they work in are so financially
challenged that they are unable to meet
their pay expectations and in danger
of joining the increasing number of
failed pharmacies.’
Mr Bronger said he shared these concerns
and feared for the health of Australia’s
internationally renowned national
network of community pharmacies.
‘I think that in the government’s zeal
to cut costs and, in part, pharmacy’s
defensive responses, we’ve somewhat
lost sight of the strategic importance of
this network.
‘It in the interests of every Australian that
their network of community pharmacies
remains healthy – more so than just
viable – but it’s also in the interests of
those controlling government budgets.
We know that, backed by a trusted,
quality-assured network of community
pharmacies, we pharmacists can provide
many of the answers governments
Australian Pharmacist July 2013 I © Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd.
‘Call it a dividend on efficiency or
productivity, call it reinvesting in crucial
health and social infrastructure, call it
whatever you want – just get it done for
the sake of healthcare in this country,’
he said.
Mr Bronger went on to say that many
pharmacists were bewildered at the
apparent lack of cooperation, and even
enmity between the professional bodies
with this apparent lack of cooperation
and mutual support adding to the
bewilderment afflicting pharmacy.
The recent debacle over HMRs was a
perfect case in point.
‘Had the PSA been viewed as
collaborators when the HMR rules were
developed, I suspect much of the pain
and frustration experienced by so many
pharmacists would not have happened.’
He said that under the watch of new
Guild executive director David Quilty
the Guild seemed to have had a change
of heart about the value they placed on
external relationships.
‘I congratulate him for this emerging
attitude of new collaboration with the
PSA. I know that he and PSA CEO Liesel
Wett have begun working through
points of collaboration and I hope their
efforts will be actively supported by the
members of both groups.
‘Your professional bodies need your
active and interested engagement, not
only to keep your representatives like
me at their word, but also to help us
fine‑tune our priorities. We need your
own pressures of expectation because
we’re only as good as the representation
you seek,’ Mr Bronger said.
news
Collaborative advocacy
Through the uncertainty and disquiet of
the past 12 months PSA has been guiding
members and laying the foundations
for the profession’s future PSA National
President Grant Kardachi told delegates at
the opening of the PSA CPExpo in Sydney
last month.
To illustrate what he was saying he spoke
about the recent problems over the delivery
of HMRs and PS’s response.
He said that while HMRs were an area
of specialisation, the implications of
this issue spread throughout the whole
profession. The problem emerged when the
Government announced an over spend in
this area of the CPA budget and moratorium
on HMR services was suggested as a way
to address the problem. However, this was
rejected out of hand by the PSA.
‘In fact, late last year PSA became aware
of problems in the HMR delivery area and
we initiated strategic moves to investigate
ways to improve the rules surrounding
the delivery of HMRs. We took this action
because we see improvements to HMR rules
as being the road to ensuring the program
remains sustainable.
consumers and as a profession we had to
ensure it continues.
‘At PSA we identified some areas which we
felt could be improved in the HMR program
and contacted the Department of Health to
initiate talks on implementing such reforms.
We are now in talks on how to implement
some of these suggestions,’ he said.
‘PSA met behind the scenes with politicians,
bureaucrats and stakeholders to try to
stop the moratorium and in this we were
successful when the Minister for Health,
Tanya Plibersek, announced that there
would be no moratorium. In our advocacy
to put to rest any notion of a moratorium,
we engaged a wide range of our
collaborative allies – and we engaged them
to very good effect.
Mr Kardachi said that the HMR budget was
negotiated by the Pharmacy Guild as part of
the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement
and from the outset PSA was concerned at
the very limited budgets allocated.
‘PSA is not allowed to be involved in the
negotiating process and we were not
consulted on the modelling around the
real cost and benefits of this program.
Perhaps including the profession in
discussions prior to the negotiations could
have prevented the problem from occurring
and this is a lesson for the future.
‘To put the whole program on hold for
an indefinite period was risky at best,
and foolish at worst. This is a program that
is demonstrably delivering benefits for
‘If the old adage that no man is an island
stands true, then it is equally applicable
to pharmacy – no profession is an island.
We need the support and help of our
colleagues in the health sector, and in other
sectors. We have been steadily building
partnerships and after the HMR moratorium
issue the momentum has gained pace.
Recently we signed a memorandum of
understanding with the RACGP and we are
continuing to develop new collaborative
arrangements to strengthen our advocacy
and position the pharmacy profession for
the future.’
Australian Pharmacist July 2013 I © Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd.
17
be our guest
Collaborative ties between GPs and
pharmacists go far to help Close the
Gap
By Dr Liz Marles, President of the RACGP
Australia’s ageing population is testament to the availability and advances in
medical innovations across the spectrum. From life-saving pharmaceuticals,
cutting edge technologies and early detection programs, the vast majority
of Australians enjoy a high standard of healthcare right across the lifespan.
Or do they?
For years the evidence has clearly
highlighted the significant life expectancy
gaps and poorer health outcomes
experienced by Indigenous Australians
compared to non-Indigenous Australians;
shocking and shaming our national pride.
In 2009, the Australian Bureau of Statistics
estimated life expectancy gaps were as
wide as 11.5 years for males and 9.7 years
for females.1 Overall, in 2008–09, the
potentially preventable hospitalisation
rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people was 4.9 times the rate for
other Australians.2 Potentially preventable
chronic diseases and injury are conditions
causing the greatest proportion of excess
deaths for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people.3
Despite the overall health needs being
higher for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people, in 2008–09, average
Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS)
expenditure per person was $363 for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people and $621 for non-Indigenous
Australians, a ratio of 0.58.4 The average
Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule (PBS)
expenditure per person was $250 for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
and $338 for non-Indigenous Australians,
a ratio of 0.74.4
So what can we do to help close the gap?
Pharmacists and GPs have long held
strong professional relationships to
ensure optimal health outcomes for our
patients. Recently the PSA and the RACGP
reaffirmed the strong collaborative ties
between the two professions, signing a
18
second Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU). Together the two bodies,
representing 37,000 primary healthcare
professionals, have committed to further
exploring the benefits of team-based
care with a united front. With this strong
alliance in place between the two
professions, one clear example of how we
can contribute to the Close the Gap (CTG)
efforts is via the Government’s Closing the
Gap PBS Co-payment Measure.5
The Measure, introduced in November
2008, allows GPs who are participating in
the Indigenous Health Practice Incentive
Program (PIP) to prescribe medications
for eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander patients at a reduced cost or
free to the patient, particularly those
medications used to treat chronic pain.
GPs can annotate eligible patients’
prescriptions with ‘CTG’ to indicate that
it is to be dispensed with co-payment
relief. The cost of medications has
been identified as a key factor that
prevents many Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people from obtaining
optimum health care. Medical specialists
in any practice location are also able
to participate, provided the patient is
eligible in the PBS Co-payment Measure,
and has been referred by a medical
practitioner working in a practice that is
participating in the Indigenous Health
Incentive/PBS Co‑Payment Measure
under the PIP. Medical practitioners
working in Indigenous Health Services
in urban and rural settings can also
provide eligible patients with a ‘CTG’
annotated prescription.
Australian Pharmacist July 2013 I © Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd.
In August 2012, Australian Doctor6 reported
that, alarmingly, thousands of doctors were
unaware of the existence of the scheme.
The RACGP has continued to work hard to
promote this important initiative to our
members, as well as many other Government
initiatives to support the Close the Gap
efforts. PSA members are also encouraged to
familiarise themselves with the Closing the
Gap PBS Co-payment Measure if they have
not already. Good communication between
the pharmacist and the GP will enhance
uptake of this measure and improve
adherence for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander patients.
Further supporting the value of this
initiative, the College recently called upon
Government in its pre-Budget submission
to continue to expand on proven strategies
that address cost barriers for patients
including the ongoing delivery of the
Closing the Gap PBS Co-payment scheme.
Renewed commitment will enable gains
to continue to be made in prevention and
chronic disease management.
As we continue to work in close partnership
with one another, I look forward to
identifying, promoting and bringing to life
practical examples of best practice in general
practice and pharmacy settings, to produce
improved health outcomes for our patients.
References
1. At: www.fahcsia.gov.au/our-responsibilities/indigenousaustralians/programs-services/closing-the-gap/closing-the-gapthe-need-to-act
2. Cunningham J, Rumbold AR, Zhang X, Condon JR. Incidence,
aetiology, and outcomes of cancer in Indigenous peoples in
Australia. Lancet Oncology 2008;9(6):585–95.
3. Australian Bureau of Statistics & Australian Institute of Health and
Welfare. The health and welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples 2008, ABS cat no. 4704.0. Canberra: ABS,
2008. Cited Oct 2011. At: www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.
cfm/title/10583.
4. Vos T, Barker B, Stanley L, Lopez AD. The burden of disease and
injury in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 2003.
5. Brisbane: School of Population Health, The University of
Queensland, 2007.
6. Medicare Australia – Closing the Gap PBS Co-payment Measure.
At: www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/provider/pbs/prescriber/
closing-the-gap.jsp
7. www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/latest-news/gps-unawareof-free-meds-scheme
state News
The pharmacists were kept busy handling
and responding to medicine and health
information enquiries, referring people
on to other health professionals present
on the day (e.g. doctors, nurses and
podiatrists), providing information
on access to medicines and on drug
interactions (both possible/theoretical as
well as symptom‑based ADR enquiries), and
discussing how to manage adverse reactions.
Holly Vogt and Joyce McSwan.
Hung Tran and Marea Patounas.
Joyce joins the Qld committee
Pharmacists connect
New PSA Queensland Branch committee
member, Joyce McSwan, was quick to take
on her official duties on 30 May when she
represented PSA at the Griffith University
pharmacy awards evening at Southport.
Pharmacist academics at the Qld University
of Technology (QUT) Health Clinic have
been connecting with the community.
Joyce joined the Branch Committee in
May to fill the vacancy created when Julie
Stokes resigned.
PSA provided prizes for the best
performance in Years 1–3 and in the
Master of Pharmacy. The winners were
presented with their $500 prize and a
framed certificate by Joyce.
The winners were: First Year,
Daniel Bedding; Year 2, Rebecca Pryce;
Year 3, Polly Witts; and in the Master of
Pharmacy, Holly Vogt.
A first for UNE in NSW
Pharmacy Student of the Year
By Andrew Daniels
The University of New England achieved a
milestone last month when Callan Beesley
its first entrant in the NSW Pharmacy
Student of the Year competition won
the title.
Callan was named the NSW Pharmacy
Student of the Year at a reception held as
part of the PSA CPExpo. He beat strong
competition from Rachelle Cutler from the
University of Technology Sydney, Andrew
Allchin from the University of Sydney,
Gemma Courtney from the University of
Newcastle and Seray Goktekin from Charles
Sturt University.
This year was the first time that UNE and UTS
had participated in the PSOTY competition,
with its first cohort of pharmacy students
graduating this year.
20
Along with representatives from other
health professions the pharmacist
academics, recently participated in
‘widening participation’ events for the
community at Gympie – a widening
participation event for the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander community – and in
Brisbane – a widening participation event
for Homeless Connect.
Almost 1,500 people attended the Brisbane
event, including homeless people, those at
risk of homelessness and people without
permanent accommodation.
At each event signs were erected to draw
attention to the pharmacists available on
the day including: Ask a Pharmacist and Ask
about your Medicines.
Branch committee elections
Professor Greg Kyle has been elected
unopposed as the new ACT Branch
President. He replaces Professor Gabrielle
Cooper. However Professor Cooper was
re‑elected as PSA National Board Director
from the ACT.
A new face on the ACT Branch executive
is Kylie Woolcock who was elected as a
vice president. She replaces Professor Kyle.
Bill Kelly was re-elected as the other Vice
President. All were elected unopposed.
The Tasmanian Branch has a new Vice
President following its annual office bearer
elections. Dr Ella Van Tienen replaced Dr Luke
Bereznicki as a Branch Vice President.
Office bearers are: Branch President Dr Shane
Jackson; Joint Vice-Presidents Anne Todd
and Dr Ella Van Tienen; and National Board
Director Dr Luke Bereznicki. All were
elected unopposed.
Callan said it was a ‘massive shock’ to be
named as the NSW winner.
Manager at the Hydration Pharmaceuticals
Trust Sarah Curulli.
‘I saw the girls [compete] and thought I was
done for, dead in the water! This is a huge
honour for me and I will try to do everyone
proud,’ he said.
Mr Kardachi said that once again judges had
a hard time choosing the winner because of
the very high standard of entrants.
Professor Ieva Stupans, Head of Pharmacy,
University of New England said: ‘The
pharmacy team congratulates Callan, he is
an excellent representative of the University
of New England’s pharmacy degree. To have
one of our students in our first final year
cohort recognised by the PSA’s judges is a
great endorsement for our program’.
Judges were PSA National President Grant
Kardachi, PSA NSW Branch President John
Bronger, Elizabeth Heiner, a drug counsellor
at Mothersafe who has previously worked
in community and hospital pharmacy and
other information services such as Poisons
Information Line, and Clinical Education
Australian Pharmacist July 2013 I © Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd.
‘These young pharmacists are quite
outstanding and their ability to engage with
consumers, gather appropriate information
and formulate a response is remarkable
at their age. Callan displayed all these
attributes and characteristics to take out
the title.’
Mr Bronger said the standards displayed by
the entrants showed that pharmacy in the
future was in good hands.
‘These young pharmacists are confident,
articulate and very knowledgeable.
They really are testament to the fact that
our profession is well equipped to meet
the challenges of the future, and emerge
stronger and better than ever.’
state News
PharmacyLIVE 2013
Bringing professional services to LIFE
14–15 September 2013
Novotel, Sydney Olympic Park NSW
Bringing professional services
to LIFE
Practice enhanced patient outcomes and
professional satisfaction is the focus of
PharmacyLIVE 2013.
Learn how to identify, recruit and
assess consumers for professional
services at PharmacyLIVE 2013 from
14–15 September at The Novotel, Sydney
Olympic Park.
Join industry leaders who will outline
the key stages of professional service
development and delivery over a two
day program that will include clinical and
practice-orientated interactive workshops
and seminars.
As professional service delivery becomes
increasingly more important in community
practice, PharmacyLIVE 2013 will give
those who attend the tools to enhance
their practical ability for effective and
integrated professional service provision.
Gain an edge in an increasingly
competitive marketplace by planning,
delivering and evaluating your pharmacy’s
professional services offering by adopting
a new pharmacy practice model.
Future-proof your business by taking
advantage of government and privately
funded financial incentives and
rewards available to diversify pharmacy
income streams.
On Saturday, key pharmacist business
owners and academics will show how to
formulate a business plan for professional
service provision, develop staff training
tools to identify training needs and
critically evaluate business performance.
You will also learn to utilise in-house
data to screen patients for appropriate
professional service provision.
Sunday’s program will focus on service
delivery (each aligned to a specific clinical
area) outlining effective communication
skills for patient liaison and motivational
interviewing techniques to improve health
outcomes. An overview of disease risk
assessment tools will give you confidence
in both assessing and recruiting patients
for professional service provision.
Learn to also develop better collaborative
networks with allied healthcare
professionals and detail resources for
effective health promotions. An outline of
data recording processes will also ensure
the effective delivery and administration of
professional services.
PharmacyLIVE 2013 is on from 14–15
September at The Novotel, Sydney
Olympic Park. Earn up to 22 Group 2 CPD
credits. For more information contact PSA
NSW Branch on (02) 9431 1100 or visit
www.psa.org.au/education/conferences.
Australian Pharmacist July 2013 I © Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd.
21
state News
‘The ADF’s ability to provide tailored
levels of healthcare across global
settings in short time frames requires
robust pharmaceutical and medical
logistic support strategies that support
the spectrum of healthcare from basic
primary health through to secondary
surgery and rehabilitation.
Medicines in camouflage
Global Drug Safety Conference (GDS) has
attracted some excellent local presenters.
One of them is Major David Bullock.
In a career spanning 25 years of service
predominantly with the British Army
and more recently with the Australian
Defence Force (ADF), he has managed
the expeditionary healthcare support
to military conflict and humanitarian
assistance responses across
four continents.
‘The ADF health services are required
by legislation, and professionally
committed to ensuring that regardless
of locality, infrastructure availability
and demographics of the population at
risk, pharmaceutical safety, security and
legitimacy is held paramount throughout
mission planning and execution’.
GDS, with the theme of Revitalising
Drug Safety – The Decade of the Patient,
is being held in Brisbane from 14-16
October. Further information is available
at www.gds.org.
He will provide an insight into how the
Australian Army manages Medication
Safety and risk involved with the
supply of medicines within the military
expeditionary setting, while ensuring
the safety of its staff, legitimacy of
pharmaceuticals and maintaining
a suitable cold chain. Major Bullock
will outline the role and structure of
the ADF health services team, their
training and how they work together
to ensure medication safety and
mitigate risk, as well as discussing issues
and barriers to pharmacy support in
providing expeditionary healthcare in
foreign countries.
22
Prof Frazer was selected as Queenslander
and Australian of the Year in 2006. He was
also awarded the 2008 Prime Minister’s
Prize for Science, the 2008 Balzan Prize
for Preventive Medicine, the 2009 Honda
Prize and was recently elected as a Fellow
of the esteemed Royal Society of London.
In 2012, Professor Frazer was appointed a
Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)
in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Professor Frazer will also speak at the
Global Drug Safety Conference 2013
(GDS2013). His topic is: The global drug
safety continuum – From bench to bedside.
With the theme of Revitalising drug safety
– The decade of the patient, GDS13 will
be held at the Brisbane Convention &
Exhibition Centre from 14–16 October
immediately following the Pharmacy
Australia Congress which runs from
10–13 October also at the Brisbane
Convention & Exhibition Centre.
PSA is offering joint packages for GDS13
and PAC13 with packages for both
conferences. Further information is
available at www.psa.org.au/pac or
www.gds13.org.
One of his most challenging tasks
and greatest accomplishments is the
co‑writing and co-execution of a health
support plan for the British support to
Operation Iraqi Freedom, within which
drug and pharmaceutical integrity played
a challenging role.
Major Bullock will present on
Medicines in Camouflage – Risks in
Expeditionary Healthcare.
prevent cervical cancer. He has recently
been appointed as CEO and Director
of Research of the newly created
Translational Research Institute in
Brisbane, Australia.
Ian Frazer to give the Alan
Russell oration at PAC13
pac13
Professor Ian Frazer, the 2006 Australian
of the Year, will present the 2013 Alan
Russell oration at the Pharmacy Australia
Congress in Brisbane in October.
In his presentation Prof Frazer
will describe the journey he went
through to develop cervical cancer
vaccine technology.
Prof Frazer is a clinical immunologist.
His research group studies the
immunology of papillomavirus associated
cancers. In 1991, along with Chinese
colleague, Dr Jian Zhou, he developed
the virus-like particle technology which
has become the basis of vaccines to
Australian Pharmacist July 2013 I © Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd.
Call for abstracts now open!
Click here to submit your abstract.
state News
Re-think education expenses
urgently
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
(PSA) and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia
(PGA) and have joined forces to express
serious concerns over the impact
proposed changes to the tax deductibility
of education expenses will have on
professional standards.
The Federal Treasury recently released a
discussion paper on the Federal Budget
announcement of a $2,000 cap on
taxation deductions for work-related
education expenses.
This measure will apply to all work‑related
education expenses, including formal
education courses, CPD activities,
conferences, seminars, and any
related travel, accommodation and
home‑office depreciation.
quarters as a fait accompli, with little
scope for significant changes to reduce
the impact on professional learning.
‘It seems somewhat strange that a
Government which is espousing the
importance of education reforms is now
moving to make lifelong learning less
attractive to hard-working pharmacists
who must spend a great deal of time and
money to maintain their education and
stay abreast of the latest developments in
health and medicine.
‘Pharmacists are required to undertake
education activities by law, not only
to ensure the best health outcomes
for the community but also to be
eligible to continue to practise as
pharmacists. The Government’s decision
will potentially affect all pharmacists
and will have a particularly negative
impact on accredited pharmacists, rural
pharmacists and early-career pharmacists,’
Mr Kardachi said.
In announcing the move the Government
said it would welcome submissions on the
issue. However,
PSAdodo_Layout
National President,
eRx Aus Pharmacist
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1 31/05/13 11:17 AM Page 1
Grant Kardachi, said he was concerned
that the move may be seen in some
PGA National
President, Kos
Sclavos said the
Budget measure as
it stood would have
an adverse impact
on the continuing
professional
development requirements of the
pharmacy profession.
‘In our sector, where travel and related
costs to attend major industry events
alone can exceed the proposed cap,
it shows a clear misunderstanding
of how pharmacy operates. With the
ever-changing health system and
new advances in drug technology,
government policy should be
encouraging education opportunities for
the benefit of our patients’.
Mr Sclavos and Mr Kardachi said the
Pharmacy Guild and PSA would seek
amendments to the proposal on behalf
of the profession and in the interests of
healthcare consumers.
Australian Pharmacist July 2013 I © Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd.
23
News
Diabetes MedsCheck research
A six-month pilot implementation
program exploring better health
outcomes for people with
diabetes has started at 14 NSW
community pharmacies.
The program is a joint initiative between
Roche Diabetes Care and the University of
Technology Sydney (UTS).
Senator Dean Smith and AWMA committee representative, Ann Marie Dunk.
Chronic wound care gaining
support
The campaign for government subsidised
wound care moved a step closer in the
2013 Federal Budget.
Hot on the heels of its national petition
for subsidised wound care being tabled in
the Senate on Budget day, the Australian
Wound Management Association (AWMA)
welcomed the budget decision to provide
$0.3M to fund a study on improving chronic
wound management for Senior Australians.
AWMA – whose membership comprises
mostly of nurses and other health
professionals – saw its 1,160-signature
petition tabled by Senator Dean Smith
(Liberal, WA), a member of the Senate
Standing Committee on Community Affairs.
The petition noted that with prompt
best-practice care most wounds, including
difficult venous leg ulcers (VLU), can
be healed within 12 weeks. It sought
Senate support for full subsidisation of
best‑practice wound management, a case
that AWMA had been advocating for
some time.
AWMA national president Dr Bill McGuiness
said: ‘Without the early use of dressings
and specifically compression bandages
and stockings, healing is delayed, causing
avoidable pain and suffering and creating
unnecessary pressure on public hospitals
and other services.’
Dr McGuiness, Head of La Trobe University’s
School of Nursing & Midwifery, said:
‘At present, the barrier to wider use of
42
compression items for VLUs is their high
cost, which most Australian patients must
pay for personally. Many of these patients
are elderly pensioners who either make
sacrifices to afford the consumables,
or simply miss out on best-practice care.’
AWMA estimates that as many as
300,000 Australians currently experience
chronic wounds requiring management,
with around 42,600 people aged over
60 years having at least one VLU at any time.
A recent KPMG report, An Economic
Evaluation of Compression Therapy for
Venous Leg Ulcers, said wider access
to appropriate compression therapy
could deliver substantial savings to both
government and individual patients. The is
available from: www.awma.com.au
The $0.3M budget funding is earmarked for
a scoping study and cost benefit analysis
of options to better address chronic
wound management for Senior Australians
and is part of the Supporting Senior
Australians package.
‘AWMA is delighted that the Government
has recognised the need to further
improve chronic wound management
for Seniors. AWMA sees this as a positive
stepping stone on the path to ensuring
best-practice management for every
Australian experiencing a chronic
wound. We look forward to assisting the
coordinators of the study in any way they
feel could be useful,’ Dr McGuiness, said.
Australian Pharmacist July 2013 I © Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd.
The program aims to evaluate the
implementation of the Australian
Government’s Diabetes MedsCheck
service and will investigate the impact of
Diabetes MedsCheck on health outcomes
for people with diabetes. It aims to
produce a sustainable MedsCheck model
that ensures evidence-based best practice
and the provision of quality services to
patients and pharmacies.
The program is being led by UTS
Professor Charlie Benrimoj, Head,
Graduate School of Health & Professor
of Pharmacy Practice, and will develop,
implement and evaluate the Diabetes
MedsCheck program in selected
participating community pharmacies
across NSW, Victoria and Queensland.
The 14 pharmacies in NSW will be joined
by a further 15.
The pilot will incorporate existing
professional services tools from Roche
Diagnostics, designed to aid pharmacy
employees to assist patients to improve
the management of their diabetes.
It will measure uptake of the Diabetes
MedsCheck service and the psychosocial
impact on people with diabetes, ensuring
that reiterations of the program improve
the quality of life and self-empowerment
of people living with diabetes and help
to alleviate diabetes-related depression. From a pharmacy perspective,
the program will assess the benefits of
implementing professional services to
their business.