Category Archives: pharmacy

A rather large wrap of recent Croakey articles: public health, health reform, media coverage of health and more

January 11, 2012 – 10:25 am

As previously mentioned, Croakey readers are welcome to sign up for (rather irregular) summaries of posts. If you’d like to join the mailing list, please send your email or leave it below. Here is the latest compilation, covering from 6 October – December 23, 2011. The latest readership figures are now also available, showing that [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in abortion, alcohol, cancer, child health, childbirth and maternity services, climate change, complementary medicines, conflicts of interest, consumer health information, death and dying, dental care, evidence-based issues, Food, global health, health and medical research, health financing and costs, Health inequalities, health reform, health workforce, Hospitals, Indigenous health, infectious diseases, Media Doctor Australia, Medicare Locals, mental health, MyHospitals website, obesity, pain, palliative care, physical activity, prevention, primary health care, public health, quality and safety of health care, rural and remote health, SensaSlim, social determinants of health, social media and healthcare, TGA, The Conversation, tobacco control, vaccination, vaccines, WHO | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Should pharma industry fines be used in good works that create positive industry PR?

December 15, 2011 – 10:13 am

Andrew Roberts – who is better known to friends, patients, colleagues and Twitter followers as Robbo – is a pharmacist in a remote WA community. Below is an article cross-posted from his blog, Biting the Dust, in which he raises concerns about the source of funds for a dialysis truck that is providing a much-needed [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in chronic diseases, diabetes, health ethics, Indigenous health, pharmaceutical industry, rural and remote health | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

The Ministerial reshuffle and health: plus analysis of Roxon’s tenure and advice to Plibersek

December 13, 2011 – 1:18 pm

Much of the post-shuffle focus in health has been on the new Minister, Tanya Plibersek (The Australian has her prioritising dental reform, while the Sydney Morning Herald has her bedding down the health reform agenda). But let’s not forget that many portfolios are important for health (some of which are mentioned at the bottom of [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in cancer, child health, childbirth and maternity services, dental care, disabilities, e-health, education, general practice, health reform, Indigenous health, Medicare Locals, mental health, NHMRC, prevention, primary health care, private health insurance, public health, social determinants of health, TGA, tobacco control | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)

A personal story of living with pain

December 5, 2011 – 11:41 am

Further to the previous post describing efforts to improve pain management, Geri Badham, a Canberra-based freelance journalist/researcher, writes below of her experiences with chronic pain. (Please bear in mind that everyone’s experiences differ, and Croakey articles are not intended to provide individual medical advice.) Geri Badham writes: Prior to becoming a chronic pain sufferer, that [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in allied health care, chronic diseases, consumer health information, pain | Tagged , | Comments (0)

The latest wrap of health and medical reading at The Conversation

November 11, 2011 – 7:40 pm

Thanks to Fron Jackson-Webb from The Conversation for providing this latest wrap of  health and medical news. The stories below cover pharma industry lobbying, the pokies debate, and plenty more… *** The tricks companies use to get over-priced drugs on the PBS By Thomas Faunce, ARC Future Fellow at Australian National University: Boehringer Ingelheim, manufacturer of [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in childbirth and maternity services, gambling, health & medical marketing, men's health, mental health, obesity, pharmaceutical benefits scheme, pharmaceutical industry, public health, women's health | Comments (0)

Our medicines supply is not as secure as you might assume

November 8, 2011 – 5:07 pm

Are we doing enough to identify and address current and potential problems with the supply of essential medicines? This is one of many questions raised by a thought-provoking article in the current Medical Journal of Australia, titled A Pandora’s box: sustainable pharmaceutical supply (abstract only free). One of the authors, Dr Simon Quilty, an Advanced [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in global health, Hospitals, pharmaceutical industry | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

Consumers need much better information about complementary medicines

October 23, 2011 – 4:04 pm

We’ve already heard buckets of criticism of the deal between the Pharmacy Guild and Blackmores, which would have seen pharmacists prompted to promote Blackmores products as “companions” to certain popular medications. In the article below (first published in Medical Observer), Dr Ken Harvey, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, School of Public Health at La Trobe University, looks [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in complementary medicines, conflicts of interest, consumer health information | Tagged , , | Comments (6)

Some reaction to the news on the Pharmacy Guild and Blackmores

October 6, 2011 – 6:51 pm

Some pithy comments have already landed on the previous post covering the canning of the controversial deal between the Pharmacy Guild and Blackmores, which would have seen pharmacists prompted to promote Blackmores products as “companions” to certain popular medications. Here is some more reaction: from Dr Ken Harvey, the  National Prescribing Service and Senator Richard [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in complementary medicines, conflicts of interest, evidence-based issues | Tagged , , , , | Comments (1)

Pharmacy Guild deal with Blackmores ends in tears

October 6, 2011 – 1:02 pm

Some extremely interesting conversations must have been occurring behind closed doors in pharmacy-land, in the wake of the disastrous deal between the Pharmacy Guild and Blackmores. According to a Guild statement reproduced in full below, the deal – for pharmacists’ computer systems to prompt them to discuss Blackmores products with patients picking up a prescription [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in complementary medicines, conflicts of interest, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (5)

A wrap of recent health news at Croakey

October 5, 2011 – 5:40 pm

Hola – I am back on deck. A large thanks to Jennifer Doggett for driving Croakey while I was away, and to Ben Harris-Roxas for looking after the Twitter feed. As previously mentioned, Croakey readers are welcome to sign up for (rather irregular) summaries of posts. If you’d like to join the mailing list, please [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in aged care, alcohol, cancer, chronic diseases, climate change, Cochrane Collaboration, complementary medicines, Croakey Register of Influencers in Public Health, diabetes, disabilities, evidence-based issues, health and medical education, health and medical research, health financing and costs, Health inequalities, health reform, health regulation, health workforce, Indigenous health, Journal articles, Media Doctor Australia, Media-related issues, Medicare Locals, mental health, obesity, prevention, primary health care, private health insurance, public health, quality and safety of health care, rural and remote health, social determinants of health, The Conversation, Uncategorized | Comments (2)