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EDITORIAL
Corporatisation-
The Winds of Change?
NEIL
JOHNSTON
Management
Consultant Perspective
In the March edition
of the Australian Journal of Pharmacy, under the title of "Why
we oppose corporatisation", appears an article written by John
Bronger, the federal president of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia (PGA).
Had it been written in 1950, the sentiments expressed would have been
understandable.
But this is the year 2003, in a timeframe when pharmacists feel a little
vulnerable and in need of guidance for the trials to come.
Pharmacists are obviously not going to get appropriate guidance, as
PGA thinking remains rooted in the 1950's and appears determined not
to get ahead of the action.
Pharmacists collectively have again been "shot in the foot".
Change
Will Happen -
It's the Speed That it Happens That May Count
ROLLO
MANNING
An
Indigenous/Rural/Isolated/Remote Perspective
The time it takes
for the face of pharmacy to change will be critical to its relevance
in this millennium.
Consumer behavior has changed and the retail industry must adapt to
that change.
The fact that pharmacy has structurally stayed the same over the past
75 years has created a "comfort zone" for the profession.
It must now decide whether it needs to break out and let go of the shackles
of the past.
Ever wondered why some things in life always stay the same?
The
Population Approach to Pharmacy Research 1975-2003 : The Inaugural Eric
Kirk Award Oration
CON
BERBATIS
A
Researcher Perspective
EDITOR'S
NOTE: The
article which was to appear in this edition (Pharmacy Worldwide-Public
Media Reports Part 2) has been deferred to the May edition of
i2P because it was thought more important to publish this Kirk Award
Oration, which is a reflection of the exciting times in hospitals during
the 1970s followed by the equally exciting period of 1993-2003 in community
pharmacy research and evaluation.
More importantly, it is a snapshot of the life and times of Con Berbatis,
one of Australia's more successful academics, who has not forgotten
his "roots" in community pharmacy and hospital pharmacy.
Con's disciplined attention to detail, and his ability to create projects
that will stand Pharmacy in good stead well into the future, have attracted
recognition that is well deserved.
Our congratulations are offered to Con Berbatis on this occasion, and
I am sure that readers will follow all of his material published in
i2P, for to not do so would be to throw away the myriad of opportunities
that he is currently pioneering on behalf of Australian pharmacists.
The
following oration was delivered on 12 March 2003 by Con Berbatis, Lecturer
in Curtin University's School of Pharmacy after receiving the Pharmaceutical
Council of Western Australia's inaugural Eric Kirk award for outstanding
services to pharmacy by a Western Australian .
The award was presented by Western Australia's Minister for Health Mr
Robert Cucera in the annual registration, awards and prizes ceremony
in the presence of 450 people.
Buckets
of Money!
KEN
STAFFORD
Consultant
Pharmacist Perspective
The
March 2003 edition of the "Australian Pharmacist" contains
an editorial by Jay Hooper, National President of PSA, entitled "A
fragmented health system".
In this, he writes about how the separation of different areas of health
care raises a barrier to optimal health outcomes.
Although the subject of this editorial has nothing whatsoever to do
with the topic, as I read on my mind did one of those odd wanders into
abstract concepts.
This one returned me to an argument I've explored in conversations about
pharmacy, the PBS and health costs.
Direct
to Consumer Advertising
KARALYN
HUXHAGEN
A
PSA Councilor Perspective
Direct
to consumer (DTC) advertising comes in many subtle forms as well as
the blatant reports on the current affairs programs.
Like many Pharmacists, I become enraged when I am the last person to
know that Tagamet is used for warts and that Yasmin is the new wonder
drug for weight loss!!
Just look at the increase in diuretic sales after the Shane Warne affair
media reports.
The recent calls by Pharmacists on Auspharmlist to have DTC more tightly
controlled in Australia led me to ponder all of the subtle ways that
we encounter DTC in the practice of Pharmacy.
eTG
Complete
ENID
MELDRUM
Software
Developer Perspective
eTG
Complete, all ten Therapeutic Guidelines titles integrated in a single
electronic file, was first launched just over a year ago, and was reviewed
in i2P #2, 2002.
It is sold on an annual subscription basis with quarterly updates throughout
the subscription period, and has proven to be extremely popular with
health professionals.
It far exceeded the sales target for its first year within six months.
One in every four orders for Therapeutic Guidelines is now for eTG complete.
The
Quality Care Pharmacy Program Debate
Two
pharmacists, John Skyllas, a practising community pharmacist
who has recently completed QCPP accreditation, and Tim Logan,
representing QCPP on behalf of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia,
have debated the shortcomings/benefits of the program.
Both have agreed to disagree.
The trilogy of articles noted below represent the final arguments
of the debate, and the editor has weighed in with a summation.
It has been a "no holds barred" process.
What do you think?
Links to the initial articles can be found here:
John Skyllas article 1 (Issue
12)
Tim
Logan article 1 (Issue 13)
John
Skyllas article 2 (Issue13)
Quality
Care Kickbacks...Kick Right Back!
TIM
LOGAN
A
Pharmacy Guild Perspective
I
would like to beg the indulgence of the readership of this e-magazine:
it is rare that tit-for-tat duels between contributors can remain
interesting for long. I would much rather be involved in more
productive epistles, but the misinformation generated by John
Skyllas in the last publication cannot be allowed to stand uncorrected.
Don't
Knock the Establishment
JOHN
SKYLLAS
Community
Pharmacist Perspective
Eighteen
months ago I decided to start taking a stand.
Like most of you, I had previously been apathetic. I would see
things that were not right, but I would always look for an excuse
not to do anything about it.
After all, I had a busy pharmacy to run and I had two young
daughters that would occupy the rest of my time.
Eighteen months ago however, I decided that it was time to speak
out.
If I thought something was wrong about our profession or I did
not agree with what our leaders were doing, I decided that I
would let them know how I felt.
I started writing letters to CEO's. I joined the Auspharm List
and started placing posts.
I would ring people and express my opinions.
Winding
up the Debate
NEIL
JOHNSTON
Response
(by Tim Logan) and Editor Comment to the Debate
The
debate that has ignited from comments in an article by John
Skyllas on Quality Care Pharmacy Program (QCPP), and the Pharmacy
Guild of Australia's stewardship of this process, has been passionately
opposed by Tim Logan, on behalf of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
Not that John Skyllas has not been equally passionate in his
presentation.
We allowed John Skyllas to view the first Guild response before
publishing, and to be fair, we allowed Tim Logan to view John's
article before going to print in this edition.
Both parties have definitely agreed to disagree!
The guidelines that i2P gives to all writers for this publication
are that editing will be limited to eliminating components that
may attract a libel suit, plus modifications to spelling and
grammar, if applicable.
We also ask our writers to develop their articles towards potential
solutions.
While opinions on both sides have been strong, it has not ventured
into the realms of libel.
However, both sides have been short on developing solutions.
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Looking
at Roles or Looking for a Role?
HEATHER
PYM
Division
of General Practice Perspective
The
Division Six Month report was tabled this week and as I read it I was
struck by the activities highlighted as areas of ongoing concern with
appropriate programs dedicated to furthering better health outcomes
in the community.
What really is interesting reading are the health programs with strong
support both in funding and human resource dedicated to immunisation,
diabetes, asthma, and smoking cessation. There are others also that
address gambling and other addictions. And then there are the QUM programs
of medication review and evidence based drug information.
The
Wage Debate Surfaces Again!
SIMON
RUDDERHAM
Recently
Registered Pharmacist Perspective
It
is always good to catch up with University friends every now and again.
Since registering, the majority of conversations after a long time of
little contact seems to be predominantly "so who are you working
for and what sort of workload are you doing?" It seems to be a
good way of gauging where a person sits in the pharmacy game, and thoughts
and tips are often exchanged on how to further oneself and the best
way to get the employer to say "yes" to a wage increase.
The
Push to go Bush
LACHLAN
ROSE
A
Student Perspective
2003
has seen the commencement of a Bachelor of Pharmacy (Rural) degree at
the Orange campus of the University of Sydney.
Is this the ray of hope that rural pharmacy has been waiting for?
As part of a membership campaign for the pharmacy student society, the
Sydney University Pharmacy Association (SUPA), I visited the Orange
campus in March. I was suitably impressed.
So,
What Does DHEA Stand For?
ANDREW
SNOW
Compounding
Pharmacist Perspective
DHEA
is an abbreviation of dehydroepiandrosterone. It is an extremely important
hormone within the body, which leads to the production of many major
other hormones. Most hormones are derived from cholesterol. Cholesterol
experiences many reactions, and is finally converted to pregnenolone.
Pregnenolone is then converted to DHEA, which can then produce a range
of hormones including testosterone and oestrogens.
The
Impact of Big Pharma Advertising
Under the Microscope
JON
ALDOUS
Hospital
Pharmacist Perspective
Pharmacists
across Australia yet again roll their eyes as a thinly veiled advertisement
for a "new" medication is featured on news or current affairs
programs.
If it's not a new contraceptive pill, it's an advertisement for another
prescription only medication.
Strangely many of these "new" products are years old and merely
have new indications or presentations.
Australia currently does not allow advertising of prescription only
medications, but has relaxed the restrictions on pharmacist-only medications
in recent years.
Is this the next step to brace us for the full introduction of Direct-to-Consumer
(DTC) advertising of all pharmaceuticals?
ADVANCE
NOTIFICATION - CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
Quality
Use of Medicines:
Challenges for GP, Hospital and Community
27 June, 2003
Stamford Plaza Hotel, Adelaide SA
ARCHI invites participation in our next Toolkit Seminar,
Quality Use of Medicines: Challenges for GP, Hospital and Community
by submitting an abstract to present at the seminar.
Editor's Note:
ARCHI
is a Commonwealth funded clearing house for innovations in
clinical management. They provide free access to library resources on
innovations in clinical management, free participation in discussion
forums and a free enquiry service. They also run about 12 ARCHI Toolkit
Seminars each year - further information can be downloaded from
www.archi.net.au
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