Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) have become the first step  for diagnosing COVID-19, with PCR tests primarily now used in high-risk individuals who test negative on a RAT. There are currently 87 COVID-19 RATs approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for use in Australia. But not all tests are created equal, revealed new research. Following a preliminary study on 10 Australian RATs in 2023, researchers at James Cook University (JCU) partnered with National Research Council Canada to compare the analytical sensitivity of 26 RATs currently available in Canada and/or Australia.  ..read more

Pregnant women are having difficulty accessing essential medicines due to a  reliance on off-patent drugs and a lack of trial data into the safety of newer medicines. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) has raised concerns about the lack of available therapies for pregnant women due to the reluctance to include them in clinical trials. With many of the medicines available to pregnant women typically older drugs that are no longer under patent, pharmaceutical companies have little financial incentive to distribute them in the Australia ..read more

Did you know a new Australian Cardiovascular risk calculator (AusCVDRisk) was released last year? If not, you’re not alone, said Karl Winckel, pharmacist at Princess Alexandra Hospital and the University of Queensland’s School of Pharmacy. Karl Winckel ‘It’s gone under the radar,’ he said. ‘Education about the new tool is mostly targeted at GPs rather than nurses or pharmacists.’ As it turns out, CVD risk has been ‘massively overestimated’ through use of previous CVD risk tables. With landmark studies such as ASPREE, ARRIVE, ASCEND all showing much lower benefit than expected for aspirin in pr ..read more

Department announces transition plan, PSA launches credential offer and Credentialed Pharmacist of the Year awarded. The second annual Credentialed Pharmacist Conference CPC24 took place in Cairns over the weekend (3–5 May 2024), bringing together hundreds of pharmacists and leaders in the field who share a common purpose – to deliver accessible medication management reviews (MMRs) and medicines advice to those who need it most. Delegates heard from Australia’s leading experts about the current and future challenges facing the nation’s health system, and delved deeper into where and how pharma ..read more

Optimising proton pump inhibitor therapy in pharmacy Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are a widely used pharmacological treatment option for management of gastro-oesophageal reflux.1 This activity is sponsored by Reckitt. All content is the true, accurate and independent opinion of the author and the views expressed are entirely their own. While data on PPIs highlighted concerns about long-term use and the need for appropriate prescribing, an analysis of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) data following the introduction of prescribing restrictions in 2019 suggests that a reliance on PPIs for ma ..read more

New credentialing requirements announced as pharmacists prepare to take on aged care roles. The federal Department of Health and Aged Care has announced that pharmacists will need an Aged Care credential to become an aged care on-site pharmacist. Those who want to provide medication reviews such as Residential Medication Management Reviews and/or Home Medicine Reviews reviews will also need to complete a Medication Management Review (MMR). Kerri Barwick, PSA General Manager of Education and Training at PSA, explains what that involves. What’s the difference between accredited and credenti ..read more

Pharmacists encounter pregnant and new mums more often than most health professionals, and can have a bird’s-eye view when things go awry. At 20 weeks pregnant, PSA’s Queensland Pharmacist of the Year Jacqueline Meyer MPS, was diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction, which severely impacted her fetal growth. A few weeks later, she stopped working – effective immediately. ‘I was put on immediate bed rest, even though I felt fine,’ she says. With her amniotic fluid diminished, Ms Meyer’s daughter, Fallon, was born at 28 weeks. Weighing only 520 grams, Fallon was placed in a ..read more

Nitazenes are becoming more common in the Australian illicit drug market, and are linked to an increasing number of overdoses and deaths. Last week, nitazines were detected in samples related to a cluster of 20 overdoses in the New South Wales Nepean Blue Mountains local health district. There have been 16 overdose deaths involving nitazenes in Victoria since 2021, prompting two coroners to recommend the implementation of drug checking services in the state. Suzanne Nielsen MPS Professor Suzanne Nielsen MPS, Deputy Director of the Monash Addiction Research Centre in Melbourne, explains how thi ..read more

Queenslanders are set to have greater access to high-quality, primary healthcare services from today (24 April 2024) under the state government’s Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot. Under the Pilot, trained pharmacists will be able to prescribe for a range of common conditions and better support patients with medication management through therapeutic adaptation and substitution, and continued dispensing. PSA Queensland President Shane MacDonald welcomed Health Minister Shannon Fentiman’s announcement today in Cairns.​ ‘The 2020 election commitment to work with PSA, the Pharmacy Guild o ..read more

We’ve passed the halfway mark in the CPD year. Top up your credits and develop the most sought-after pharmacy skills by completing these CPD activities. In a changing social and healthcare landscape – including fears around opioid overdoses, the rise of injectable medicines and new treatments for chronic pain – pharmacists need to keep on top of trends and education to best serve their communities. AP outlines the most clicked-on CPD articles over the last 12 months and why you should complete them – along with a few other ways to score credits before the CPD year ends. 1. Disposal of Schedule ..read more