Category Archives: nurses and nursing

Did your doctor, nurse or pharmacist get paid to give talks for Merck?

October 21, 2009 – 9:19 am

If you lived in the US, you’d know.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Merck has just released its list of payments to doctors for giving talks at promotional events. The list also includes some nurses, pharmacists and scientists.
The payments range from $150 to more than $20,000.
The paper reports that many drug companies are moving to [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in Media-related issues, health & medical marketing, pharmaceutical industry, pharmacy | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Nurse practitioners Vs Physician assistants: how do they differ?

September 24, 2009 – 11:23 am

In a recent episode of Crikey’s Diary of a Surgeon, Professor Guy Maddern wrote about the potential of physician assistants to help relieve pressures on our health care system. Physician assistants have been an integral part of the US health system for many decades.
His piece prompted some queries along the lines, what is the difference [...]

By Croakey | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

What are we doing to the carers at home? A nurse wonders…

August 6, 2009 – 10:20 am

In health and aged care policy, there is a huge push to encourage home care. Given the often bleak history of institutional care, it’s easy to see the appeal of these policies. But they may have some unintended consequences, cautions Lesley Salem, a nurse practitioner. She has filed this report for Croakey:
“It is very fashionable [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in health reform | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

Nurses attack Labor push for private health care

June 16, 2009 – 9:00 am

Ian McAuley, a Centre for Policy Development Fellow and lecturer in Public Sector Finance at the University of Canberra, wrote this piece in Crikey yesterday, examining why the private health insurance industry is campaigning against changes that are actually going to increase incentives for high income earners to hold private health insurance.
He concluded that the [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in health reform, private health insurance, public health | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

“Landmark” night for maternity services

May 12, 2009 – 10:20 pm

Caroline Homer, Professor of Midwifery, UTS, writes:
It’s a landmark night for maternity services for Australian women. Finally, after more than 20 years of discussion and debate this Federal government has been brave enough to acknowledge that maternity services are provided by a number of health professional including midwives, GP obstetricians and obstetricians.
Tonight’s announcement goes towards [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in Federal Budget 2009-2010, childbirth and maternity services | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)

Ticks from nursing and consumer groups and some others

May 12, 2009 – 9:41 pm

Health policy expert Dr Yvonne Luxford writes:
Nobody expected a generous budget, and at first blush the health budget is definitely not generous.
However, the good news is that the vital area of Indigenous health has received a strong influx of funding (apparently not to be distributed via the jurisdictions), and the programs to incentivise a rural [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in Federal Budget 2009-2010, Indigenous health, health reform, private health insurance, rural and remote health | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)