Keep ahead of the spread and get your flu jab by your local pharmacist

It’s that time of year again, with influenza looming large as the seasons change.

 

Whilst attention is currently centred on the COVID-19 virus, the danger of the influenza cannot be underestimated, nor understated. Influenza is dangerous and highly infectious, and potentially life-threatening to at-risk Australians.

 

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) is encouraging people to heed the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation’s (ATAGI) advice to vaccinate against influenza annually.

 

Annual vaccination is necessary in providing the best protection for you and people you come in contact with, including family and friends. ATAGI stated that it’s not possible to predict what this flu season may look like, therefore, it’s imperative for Australian’s to keep ahead of the spread.

 

According to data from the Australian Immunisation Register, less than 40% of influenza vaccines have been administered compared with this time last year.

 

At present, community pharmacies across the country have full fridges of the influenza vaccine and pharmacists are ready to immunise Australians.

 

Pharmacists are the most accessible health care professionals in Australia. Ninety five percent of Australians in capital cities live within two kilometres of a community pharmacy and sixty five percent of Australians in rural Australia are the same.

 

PSA recommends booking vaccinations with your local pharmacist, noting that many pharmacies still accommodate walk-ins.

 

PSA National President, Associate Professor Chris Freeman, stressed the importance of immunisation as the seasons change.

 

“Unlike the COVID-19 vaccine, supply is plentiful and there are no rollout phases. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to come forward and receive their influenza vaccination.”

 

“Whilst you are waiting for your COVID-19 vaccine, there is still plenty everyone can do to support our community and protect Australia’s most vulnerable. One of the best ways is to get immunised against influenza, remembering we need 14 clear days between COVID 19 immunisation and other immunisations. So don’t forget about your flu shot!”

 

Media contact: PSA media 0487 922 176

NSW Government backs pharmacists for NIP

Older and vulnerable people in NSW will soon be able to access their seasonal influenza vaccines by visiting their local pharmacy, thanks to a commitment from the NSW Health Minister in response to a pre-budget submission by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA).

 

The NSW Health Minister has committed to the PSA that eligible people in NSW will soon be able to access the seasonal influenza vaccine. This may be facilitated under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) from the 2022 influenza season. The commitment is contingent on working with the Commonwealth Government to secure the distribution and supply of the vaccines. This commitment also applies to Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccines distributed via community pharmacies.

 

PSA NSW President, Chelsea Felkai, welcomed the NSW Health Minister’s announcement allowing pharmacist immunisers to provide NIP influenza vaccines. Ms Felkai said that it will give people more choice about when and where to get vaccinated.

 

“Particularly in regional and remote NSW, people may have trouble accessing a GP. In addition, some people do not visit a GP regularly, or do not have a GP. Allowing pharmacist immunisers to provide NIP influenza vaccines will increase vaccination rates and herd immunity to influenza within the NSW community.”

 

Annual influenza vaccines may be facilitated under the NIP for people most vulnerable to influenza, including those aged over 65 years.

 

All seasonal influenza vaccines administered are uploaded to a person’s individual vaccine record on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).

 

PSA National President Associate Professor Chris Freeman applauded the NSW Health Minister’s initiative to build on the state’s already high vaccination rates.

 

“PSA’s vision for a safer, more accessible and more accountable health system, Pharmacists in 2023, is the foundation for all of our pre-budget submissions. This commitment from the NSW Health Minister shows further confidence in the provision of safe, effective health care by pharmacists.”

 

“Consistent with our vision, PSA continues to work with governments around Australia to help achieve a future where pharmacists are increasingly involved, responsible and accountable for the medicine safety of their patients.”

 

PSA commends the NSW Health Minister for his commitment, which brings the state in line with Western Australia, Victoria and the ACT, where pharmacists have been providing NIP influenza vaccines for several years.

 

Media contact: PSA media 0487 922 176

Changes to WA legislation enable pharmacist-administered COVID-19 vaccinations

PSA welcomes new Guild leadership

Friday, 19 March 2021; The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) congratulates the newly elected councillors on their appointment to the Pharmacy Guild of Australia National Council.

 

PSA National President, Associate Professor Chris Freeman FPS, welcomed the announcement today saying “the National Council of the Guild has an important task – never before has the need for strong, inclusive and consistent leadership across all the pharmacy representative organisations been so necessary”.

 

The global pandemic has shown Governments and the Australian public how vital pharmacists are to the health system. “PSA welcomes a new era of collaboration with the Guild on how we can support pharmacists to realise their scope of practice, and bring better roles, remuneration and recognition to the profession.” said Associate Professor Freeman.

 

PSA also commends Adjunct Professor Trent Twomey on being appointed the National President of the PGA.

 

Adjunct Professor Twomey’s contribution to the community pharmacy sector is commendable. His vision and passion for community pharmacy has been a driving force behind the Guild for over 10 years.

 

“I admire Trent’s determination and strategic vision for community pharmacy. His success driving progress in the profession, like through the Queensland UTI Pilot, has seen a renewed energy and helped kindle a positive conversation about pharmacists being able to deliver a broader scope of care to Australians”.

 

“I have a strong respect for Trent and what he has been able to achieve for the community pharmacy sector. I am committed to working to support a close, frank and professional collaboration between the Presidents of the Guild and PSA. We have seen in the past when we work together the profession as a whole benefits.” said Associate Professor Freeman.

 

PSA also acknowledges the outgoing Guild National President, Mr George Tambassis. Mr Tambassis led the Guild with distinction.

 

“The PSA has been in a position to work collaboratively with George as President of the Guild in areas such as medicine shortages, therapeutic substitution, and continued dispensing. On behalf of the PSA, I wish George well in his future endeavours.” said Associate Professor Freeman.

 

Media contact: PSA media 0487 922 176

SA PSA Recognises Outstanding Achievement

South Australian pharmacists have been recognised at the Pharmaceutical Society’s SA/NT Branch (PSA) Annual Celebration of Excellence in Pharmacists Care ceremony.

 

The awards for Early Career Pharmacist of the Year and SA Pharmacist of the Year, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award, were presented by SA Health Minister, the Hon. Stephen Wade MLC.

 

Minister Wade congratulated the award winners and acknowledged the vital role pharmacy play’s in the community.

 

“Our pharmacists and their teams are key to keeping Australians healthy and safe, from the ongoing management of chronic conditions through to rolling out vaccinations,” Mr Wade said.

 

“Their hard work, professionalism and dedication have been highlighted during the first year of the COVID pandemic. As we end the second year, I know their support will be key to our COVID-19 response and vaccination rollout – the next milestone in keeping South Australians safe and our economy strong.”

 

South Australian PSA Branch President, Robyn Johns, said the awards not only recognise the outstanding achievements of the winners but also highlighted the diversity in career opportunities for pharmacists in all areas of Australia – metropolitan, regional, rural and remote.

 

“The awards ceremony and meetings bring together the pharmacy profession to discuss the latest activity and innovation within the health sector and to ensure high-quality service delivery to the community,” Ms Johns said.

 

Retired Adelaide pharmacist, David Cosh, was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his ongoing contribution to pharmacy in SA, Australia and overseas over a 40-year career. David graduated in pharmacy from the University of SA in 1966 and is a Fellow of both PSA and the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia. He has worked as a pharmacist in the UK and USA and has visited India and Sudan to teach and support clinical pharmacy practice.

 

“David’s often pioneering work in this field has furthered pharmacy in SA, around Australia and the world, particularly in hospital pharmacy settings and educating future generations of pharmacists,” Ms Johns said.

 

“His work and educational activity has certainly improved opportunities for pharmacy and pharmacists in so many different places.”

 

Dr Manya Angley – who has worked extensively as a community and hospital pharmacist as well as holding teaching and research appointments in the School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences at University of SA – was recognised as Pharmacist of the Year.

 

“Apart from her practical and academic contributions to pharmacy, Manya has led many research projects and has a strong interest in supporting the patient along the continuum of care through medication management,” Ms John said.

 

“She has led state and national medication research projects into post-discharge medication management which have been implemented at Royal Adelaide Hospital, Flinders Medical Centre and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

 

“Dr Angley’s testimony to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with a Disability highlighted serious concerns with the use of psychotropic medications and the ongoing need for pharmacists’ involvement in the care for people with an intellectual disability.”

 

The Early Career Pharmacist Award has gone to Stacey Putland who has spent time practising in rural SA and is a strong advocate for pharmacists and students over several years around improving regional, rural and remote access particularly in Aged Care.

 

“This includes advancing practice and developing new funding models as an embedded pharmacist in aged care and facilitating greater accountability for medication safety in several jurisdictions around SA,” Ms Johns said.

 

“Stacey has worked at a number of regional hospitals across the State, including Whyalla and Mildura, as a clinical pharmacist and has been instrumental in providing a clinical pharmacy service.

 

Her contribution includes 4 years as a guest tutor and lecturer at University of SA.”

 

PSA presented a Gold Medal Award to Yik Xiian (Clarissa) Chai for her outstanding academic achievements. The Gold Medal follows her graduation from University of SA. Clarissa is now undertaking her intern pharmacy program in Wollongong (NSW).

NSW PSA Recognises Outstanding Achievement

The high quality service delivery by NSW pharmacists has been recognised at the Pharmaceutical Society’s (PSA) NSW/ACT Annual Therapeutic Update (ATU) conference.

 

NSW PSA President, Chelsea Felkai, presented awards for NSW Intern of the Year, NSW Early Career Pharmacist of the Year and NSW Pharmacist of the Year at the award ceremony held at the ATU on Saturday 13 March.

 

“These awards not only recognise the outstanding achievements of the winners but also highlights the vital role of pharmacists across different practice settings and locations,” Ms Felkai said.

 

“Pharmacists are often the first point of contact on medical and medicinal issues for the public, and this conference and these awards serve to bring our profession together to ensure we are delivering best possible service delivery to our communities.”

 

The ATU conference brings together the pharmacy profession to discuss the latest activity and innovation within the health sector and to ensure high-quality service delivery to the community.

 

New England pharmacist, Anna Barwick, received the NSW Pharmacist of the Year award. Ms Felkai said Anna has led work in the area of telehealth and improving communications between pharmacists and the general community.

 

“Anna’s pioneering work in this field has led to the formation of the PharmOnline, a 24/7 telehealth advisory service which provides opportunities for the community to access health and medicines advice. Anna has also served as a member of PSA’s NSW Branch committee,” Ms Felkai said.

 

“Her work and advocacy in this field has certainly improved opportunities for rural communities to access advice and treatment opportunities where they have traditionally proved very difficult.”

 

The NSW Early Career Pharmacists’ award went to Dr Sarah Dineen-Griffin, who is the Vice-President of the Federation of International Pharmacy (FIP) Next Generation Pharmacy committee, a NSW Branch Committee member of PSA and Chair of the NSW early career pharmacist (ECP) working group.

 

“Sarah has led research into pharmacists providing non-urgent care, minor ailment services and self-care and is a leader in paving a bright future for early career pharmacists,” Ms Felkai said.

 

NSW Intern of the Year was awarded to Illawarra hospital pharmacist, Bridgette Mackley. Bridgette, who undertook her internship at Wollongong Hospital, is the NSW representative on PSA’s National Early Career Pharmacist (ECP) group. Bridgette continues to work as a hospital pharmacist in the Illawarra area.

 

Ms Felkai said Bridgette was a strong advocate for early career pharmacists and ensuring professional opportunities for clinical skills and education and training were made available.

 

The ACT award winners were announced in December 2020 at a separate awards function held in Canberra. The ACT winners included Erin Cooper (ACT Intern Pharmacist of the Year), Mandy Wang (ACT ECP Pharmacist of the Year) and Brad Butt (ACT Pharmacist of the Year).

Report reveals 72,500 rural and remote Australians admitted to hospital each year due to medicine-related problems

Saturday, 13 March 2021: A new report has revealed 1.3 million rural and remote Australians do not take their medicines at all or as intended adding an estimated $2.03 billion to our annual health care costs.

 

The Medicine Safety: Rural and remote care report, developed for the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia by Charles Sturt University, also found that 72,500 rural and remote Australians are admitted to hospital each year due to problems with their medicines, costing the health care system $400 million.

 

The report was launched by NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard in Sydney today.

 

PSA National President Associate Professor Chris Freeman said the report’s findings showed significant health discrepancies for those living in rural and remote Australia compared to those residing in metropolitan areas.

 

“The seven million Australians living in rural and remote Australians deserve better,” A/Prof Freeman said.

 

The report found:

 

• the rate of unintentional drug-induced deaths is higher than in capital cities

 

• there is an increased disease burden and potentially preventable hospitalisations is up to 2.4 times more than that of non-rural Australians

 

• the rates of medicines supplied for mental health conditions are lower in remote and very remote areas despite the higher incidence of mental health issues in these areas

 

• the rate of preventable hospitalisations for Indigenous Australians is three times higher than that of non-Indigenous Australians and

 

• 53 per cent of the Indigenous Australians participants in a regional Australian study were affected by suboptimal prescribing, polypharmacy and inappropriate or under-prescribing.

 

A/Prof Freeman said the report revealed the challenges in accessing health care including limited access to much-needed medicines.

 

“This is in part due to the tyranny of distance, inflexible regulations and health workforce shortages,” he said.

 

Medicine safety: rural and remote care also highlights that available data, specifically focused on the needs of rural and remote Australians is sparse and insights into the area must be improved.

 

“One of the most concerning findings is the lack of data and these numbers are conservative and a gross underestimation,” A/Prof Freeman said.

 

“We need to be far better at recording these medicine-related problems when they occur so we can provide better care and better solutions.”

 

The report recommends a series of actions to help address medicine-related harm in rural and remote Australia.

 

The recommendations include establishing accredited rural generalist pharmacists who would work with GPs and other health professionals to collaboratively prescribe, order pathology tests and do more to support people’s chronic disease.

 

It also calls on governments to fund pharmacists to work in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and fund case conferencing for pharmacists as part of the health care team in rural and remote areas.

 

“Pharmacists in rural and remote areas are often the main available health care provider and we need to allow them to be able to use their expertise to support the patients,” A/Prof Freeman said.

 

“It should not matter where you live – all Australians are worthy of the best health care the country can provide. We must address rural and remote challenges of medicine safety as a matter of urgency.”

 

The report can be found at https://www.psa.org.au/advocacy/working-for-our-profession/medicine-safety/medicine-safety-rural-and-remote-care/

 

 

Media contact: PSA media 0487 922 176

Pharmacists Call for Stability

Wednesday 10 March 2021

Western Australia’s community pharmacists have called on political parties to ensure the ongoing role of pharmacy in meeting the vital health needs of the State’s communities around medicine security, vaccinations and mental health issues.

 

In the run up to this Saturday’s WA election, PSA’s State President, Dr Fei Sim, has called on the Labor Party, Liberal Party, Nationals and Greens, to outline their position on a number of key community health issues.

 

Dr Sim asked the parties to advise their position on the following issues:
* Improved access to vaccinations to protect Western Australians against vaccine-preventable infectious diseases, including hepatitis, polio, pneumococcal and COVID-19.
* Ensuring timely access to medicines through continued dispensing.
* Fund Mental Health First Aid training for community pharmacists to connect vulnerable patients with care when they urgently need it.
* Allowing pharmacists to administer prescribed medicines to improve Western Australian patients’ management of complex health conditions.

 

“As the peak body representing the 3,423 Western Australian pharmacists, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia is asking you to commit to improving the health and wellness of all Western Australians through these pharmacist-related initiatives,” Dr Sim said.

 

WA Premier, Mark McGowan, said his Government recognises pharmacists as key stakeholders in the development of health policy and important providers of primary health care.

 

Mr McGowan said Labor will continue to work with pharmacists to expand the community pharmacy immunisation program, ensure that pharmacists are involved in the current review of WA’s medicine supply chain, and work with pharmacists advocating to the Commonwealth to retain the temporary medicines dispensing changes introduced through the COVID-19 pandemic period.

 

Nationals’ leader, Mia Davies, offered “in-principle” support to the initiatives the PSA had proposed, particularly as her party was the only one with a sole focus on regional issues and constituents.

 

Ms Davies advised of a number of proposed health-related policy funding initiatives for regional mental health services ($140m), regional men’s health initiative ($4m), women’s wellness and health services ($15m) and $40 million for country paramedics, sub-centres and volunteers.

 

Greens’ health spokesperson, Alison Xamon, responded to the specific requests, saying the Greens’ will support legislation and actions to increase funding for immunisation programs, and push for a review of the COVID-19 response to inform ongoing regulation and future planning for medicines dispensing.

“We support the provision of mental health workplace interventions including mental health first aid training and the allocation of specific funding for this purpose,” Ms Xamon said.

 

The Greens also said the hospital system needed to move from “a reactive, acute hospital-based system to one with a strong focus on prevention, equity, early child health and end-of-life care” in the community.

 

* * * * * * *

 

Media contact: PSA media 0487 922 176

Every older Australian to be protected by a pharmacist: now is the time for action

Monday 1 March 2021; Now is the time for the Australian Government to act on the recommendations from the Royal Commission in Aged Care to protect all residents from the harms of inappropriate medicine use – including chemical restraint.

 

Recommendations to protect aged care residents by ensuring they have access to embedded pharmacists and timely, regular medication management reviews must be among the first priorities to be actioned.

 

PSA National President, Associate Professor Chris Freeman, said the recommendations demonstrated how urgently the medicine safety problems in aged care need to be addressed.

 

“Inappropriate chemical restraint, and polypharmacy leading to sedation, falls and avoidable hospitalisations are some of the biggest problems in aged care. Pharmacists are the key to solving these problems.

 

PSA is pleased the majority of recommendations in its submission have been endorsed by the Royal Commission, particularly in regards to embedding pharmacists in aged care facilities, working in multidisciplinary teams, and strengthening clinical governance.

 

PSA is particularly supportive of the following recommendations which must be implemented immediately:

 

• Recommendation 38: Residential aged care providers to employ or retain allied health professionals, including pharmacists
• Recommendation 58: Access and funding to specialists and other health practitioners, including pharmacists, through Multidisciplinary Outreach Services
• Recommendation 64: Increased access and funding for pharmacists to conduct medication management reviews for every resident on entry to a facility, and annually thereafter, including respite care and transition care, by 1 January 2022
• Recommendation 65: Restricting initiation of antipsychotic prescriptions in residential aged care to psychiatrists and geriatricians, by 1 November 2021
• Recommendation 67: Improving data on the interaction between the health and aged care systems through implementation of unique identifiers for aged care facilities, by 1 July 2022

 

“The recommendations in the final report challenge all of us to comprehensively rethink the way we support and protect older Australians,” said Associate Professor Freeman.

 

“Putting in place quality-indicators, improving clinical governance, increasing accountability, providing better staff training and ongoing professional development are all measures required if generational change to our aged care system is to be achieved.

 

“All of Australia’s 34,000 pharmacists have a critical role in improving medicine-related harm and providing a better aged care system and support for older Australians.

 

“After 18 inquiries over 24 years, now is the time for action to improve the care for the Australians who need it the most.”

 

Media contact: PSA media 0487 922 176