PD for Fri 26 Sep 2014 - PBS spend down, World pharmacist day, Cancer studies top $1b, Events

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MUSCULAR ACHES, PAINS, CRAMPS AND SPASMS? UPGRADED Raspberry Flavour

NEW Citrus Flavour

Highly absorbable Mega Magnesium Powder Friday 26 Sep 2014

EPS incentive THE Department of Health and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia are reminding pharmacies about the electronic prescription scanning incentive (ePSI) - see page three for more details.

Cancer studies top $1b Cancer Australia has released its funding report ‘Cancer Research in Australia: an overview of funding to cancer research projects and research programs in Australia, 2006 to 2011’ showing in excess of $1b has been invested between 2006-11.

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) was the principal funder of Australian cancer research, providing $568m to 1060 research projects and programs over the five year period.

This was 56% of all funding, while other government bodies such as the Australian Research Council, the Department of Health and Cancer Australia, made up 10% between them, NHMRC said.

CLICK HERE to access the report.

Sansom PAC14 vision EMERITUS Professor Lloyd Sansom will present his vision for pharmacist practice in Australia at the opening of the 2014 Pharmacy Australia Congress (PAC14).

Now in his 40th year as editor of the Australian pharmaceutical formulary and handbook, Sansom recently won the Fred J Boyd Award at the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia national conference.

Always read the label. Use only as directed. If symptoms persist consult your healthcare professional.

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PBS spend down

THE Federal government spent $168m less on pharmaceutical benefits and services than estimated at the 2014-15 budget.

Detailed in its Final Budget Outcome released yesterday, the government estimated it would spend $10.52b at the 2014-15 budget, but actually spent $10.35b.

This compared with $9.86 spend in its 2012-13 Outcome.

Health overall saw a drop of $528m from the 2014-14 budget estimates to $63.98b in total.

This compared with $61.3b in the 2012-13 Outcome.

Health spend made up 15.5% of total expenses, which clocked in at $413.85b.

Medicines Australia chair Dr Martin Cross said this was the fifth consecutive time the government had revised its figures downwards

TGA progress report THE Therapeutic Goods Administration has released its fourth six monthly progress report on reforms.

The report, covering activity to 30 Jun, showed a number of initiatives had been implemented including key partnerships with key information providers such as NPS MedicineWise, or were on track, including the development of specifications for an IT complaints handling system.

Delayed initiatives included the development with Medsafe NZ of a common approach to recall information, the report said.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Monash multi mil med

for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) expenditure.

“Following the massive reductions in the 2012, 2013 and 2014 Budgets, it is clear now that the PBS is costing 14%, or a significant $1.7 billion, less than the Government forecast it would in 2011.

“The latest Budget figures add to a growing body of evidence showing the PBS is sustainable, and in fact, the PBS has not grown in real terms for five years.”

The Outcome follows an Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report which found government spending on health overall fell by 0.9% from 2012 to 2013 (PD 24 Sep).

To view the Final Budget Outcome papers, CLICK HERE.

Apotex Prime Award THE annual pharmaceutical industry Prime Awards dinner was held last week with Apotex beating out Boehringer Ingelheim and Novartis as the Pharmacists Choice for Most Outstanding Pharmaceutical Company, taking the award for the third year in a row, the company said.

Pharmacists voted online to elect the winner, an Awards spokesperson said, but did not respond when asked how many people voted in the awards.

AstraZeneca Australia took out GP’s choice for Outstanding Pharmaceutical Company of the Year and Bala Nallathambi of Pfizer Australia took out Young Achiever of the Year.

THE Monash Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) will partner with an international group of funders including GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to develop an affordable medicine for women in developing countries suffering from post-partum bleeding.

Monash University said the partnership would accelerate the R&D project of Dr Michelle McIntosh of MIPS, in a US$16.6m early phase development program.

The project looked at using a device allowing inhalation of an oxytocin dry powder after delivery, Monash said.

Eli Lilly, Novartis deal ELI Lilly is looking to acquire the animal health business of Novartis, a proposition the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is currently reviewing.

The agreement was announced in April, with Eli Lilly set to pay about $5.4b for Novartis Animal Health.

Eli Lilly’s Elanco division dealt with animal health pharmaceutical products, operating in various countries including the UK, the ACCC said.

In Australia, there were three brands of relevance to the ACCC’s assessment, including Comfortis and Extinosad, it said.

The ACCC said it understood that the companies only overlapped in Australia with regards to animal pharmaceutical products.

Submissions close 15 Oct. CLICK HERE for more.

End-to-end professional services solutions

Contact: Leanne Bauckham on 02 9248 2614 or leanne@instigo.com.au www.instigo.com.au

Pharmacy Daily Friday 26th September 2014

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Friday 26 Sep 2014

Events Calendar WELCOME to Pharmacy Daily’s events calendar, opportunities to earn CPE and CPD points.

If you have an upcoming event you’d like us to feature, email info@pharmacydaily.com.au.

27-28 Sep: PSA Mental Health First Aid; Sydney; for more details see: www.psa.org.au 2 Oct: Better Living With Your Lung Disease Seminar; Bundaberg; for more details see: www. lungfoundation.com.au 7 Oct: Brisbane Webinar Travelling Safe: A Pharmacists Guide; visit www.psa.org.au 9 Oct: Australian Association of Consultant Pharmacy Forum at PAC 2014 National Convention; Canberra; more at: www.psa.org. au/pac/aacp-forum 10-12 Oct: Pharmacy Australia Congress 2014; Canberra; more at: www.psa.org.au/pac 15 Oct: Better Living with Lung Cancer Forum; Brisbane; for more details see: www. lungfoundation.com.au 16-18 Oct: Pharmacy Assistant Conference 2014; Gold Coast; for more details see: www. pharmacyassistants.com/ 18-19 Oct: Medication Management Review Stage 1 Workshop; Subiaco; details visit: www.psa.org.au 21 Oct: Keeping It Going QCPP Maintenance; Sydney; for more details see: www.guild.org.au 22 Oct: Diabetes and NDSS Information Night; Subiaco; go to: www.psa.org.au

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World pharmacist day

AS PART of World Pharmacist Day yesterday, pharmacy students from the University of Sydney and the University of Technology, Sydney, at Chemistworks Broadway offered health advice and performed at least 140 blood pressure checks, as well as asthma management checks, and diabetes monitoring clinics, to members of the public.

Owner Catherine Bronger said about 16 pharmacy students had volunteered and public feedback had been positive, with people wanting to know about their health.

Organised by the universities and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, the initiative was about promoting pharmacists and their abilities in health care, Bronger said.

The initiative offered students an insight into specialisation, and so, how they could develop their career paths, something owners should also work on for students, she said.

Fourth year Honours student

George Adattini said people had been surprised by the variety of services available.

The volunteers had been briefed and supervised by a pharmacist for their first test, and at least five patients had been sent on to a doctor due to the test results, he said.

Volunteer Judy Pham said the initiative had allowed the students to experience the different areas of pharmacy.

Other sites around Australia participating in the Day included Newcastle Hunter St Mall which conducted 30 blood pressure checks.

Pictured from left is Bronger, with pharmacy student volunteers and Adattini in purple.

WIN A HYDRALYTE PACK This week Pharmacy Daily is giving five readers the chance to win a Hydralyte pack.

Did you know? Dehydration is the biggest health risk associated with vomiting and diarrhoea - you can lose up to 3L of fluid.* Hydralyte’s scientific formulation contains the correct balance of fluid, glucose and electrolytes for rapid and effective hydration. When sickness strikes, offer fluid replacement (Hydralyte) immediately. *Mild Hydration, 4% fluid deficit, in an 80kg adult.

See HERE for more details.

To win, be one of the first from SA or NT to send the correct answer to: comp@pharmacydaily.com.au.

24 Oct: Lung Health Education Day; Melbourne; for more details see: www.lungfoundation.com.au

What are two symptoms of dehydration?

25 Oct: Mental Health First Aid Workshop; Newcastle; details at: www.guild.org.au

Congratulations to yesterday’s winners, Artee Anand, Rebecca Larcombe, Michael Lendvai, Ngaire Thewlis and Zoe Blandfort.

DISPENSARY CORNER HALITOSIS a dead giveaway.

Tuberculosis (TB) infects 8.6m people each year worldwide and kills 1.3m, second only to HIV, and now researchers have developed a breath test for the disease, according to BBC News Health.

Within 10 minutes of inhaling an antibiotic, TB bacteria emit a distinctive gas signature, creating an opportunity for inexpensive screening, early diagnosis and treatment, the World Health Organisations’ primary goals in the management of the disease worldwide.

The inhaled antibiotic, isoniazid, is used to treat TB and is activated by a TB enzyme which gives off the unique gas signature.

This new diagnostic approach has yet to be tested with humans but is worth pursuing as previous approaches involving relatively expensive DNA sequencing could take up to six months, the publication said.

AN INVISIBLE tattoo.

You may have seen a number of interesting tattoos on your pharmacy customers, or own some yourself, but one New York man has had a tattoo you wouldn’t notice, to stop people looking at him oddly.

After a life of people staring at his milky white eyeball, the result of a sporting accident as a child, William Watson has had a tattoo on his eyeball to make it look normal, reports Orange News.

The rare procedure was conducted by a surgeon and a tattoo artist.

Watson said he felt better on the inside for looking better on the outside, said the report.

BLOODLESS baby birth.

An Irish baby was born with only a ‘thin plasma’ in her vascular system according to Orange News.

Born six weeks premature, she needed three blood transfusions during her first two weeks in intensive care, but has made a full recovery against all odds.

editors Bruce Piper, Alex Walls & Mal Smith email info@pharmacydaily.com.au advertising Katrina Ford advertising@pharmacydaily.com.au

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Pharmacy Daily is a publication for health professionals of Pharmacy Daily Pty Ltd ABN 97 124 094 604. All content fully protected by copyright. Please obtain written permission from the editor to reproduce any material. While every care has been taken in the preparation of Pharmacy Daily no liability can be accepted for errors or omissions. Information is published in good faith to stimulate independent investigation of the matters canvassed. Responsibility for editorial is taken by Bruce Piper.

ELECTRONIC PRESCRIPTION SCANNING INCENTIVE U O Y E R A ?

W O N G N I N N SCA 5cpa.com.au

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to scan at least 30% of original prescriptions across September

All pharmacies eligible for PPI Community Services Support can participate in the second review period for ePSI, even If your pharmacy did not meet the March 2014 requirements.

Contact your vendor to find out your current scanning rate.

Funded by the Australian Department of Health as part of the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement.

VC3381

Scan 30% in September