A recent study identified that the risk of hip fracture was increased with the use of psychotropic drugs in elderly people. The highest risk was seen when opioids or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants were started. While a...

We don’t see many pharmacists selling magical crystals. For the same reasons, pharmacists should not sell homeopathic products. Homeopathy is a form of complementary medicine that has been in existence for the last 2–3 centuries. It is based on...

As cold and flu season reaches fever pitch, the demand for complementary medicines to help prevent and manage colds and influenza is increasing. A new paper emphasises the risks associated with these medicines, and the role pharmacists have in...

Cost is a major factor associated with non-adherence to asthma treatment in Australia, recent research revealed. Healthcare providers can assist patients with adherence by discussing more cost-effective treatment options. In an online cross-sectional survey conducted between December 2015 and March...

Since the 1940s, methamphetamine has been one of the most widely used and abused drugs worldwide due to its addictive qualities. Methamphetamine was first synthesised during the late 19th Century in Japan, where researchers were looking to find ‘wonder...

Pharmacists play an important role in advising parents and carers of breast-fed infants about their safe use of medicines. The benefits of breastfeeding are widely recognised, and breastfeeding should be promoted whenever possible. The risks and benefits of using...

Identifying and managing pain in children is a vital role for pharmacists. Commonly encountered paediatric pain can be categorised as pain associated with infection (e.g. otitis media, pharyngitis and viral infections of the mouth), normative pains (e.g. colic, growing...

A recent study of coronial inquest findings revealed medicines relating to mental health conditions (antidepressants, antipsychotics) were most commonly implicated in non-opioid and non-benzodiazepine accidental drug-related deaths, with increasing prevalence over the 5-year study period.1 Although pharmacists were not implicated...

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has made an interim decision to upschedule modified release (MR) paracetamol tablets from 1 October 2019 due to safety concerns. The medicine will change from Schedule 2 (Pharmacy Medicine) to Schedule 3 (Pharmacist Only) in...

In the third of a six-part series, we expand on the PSA Choosing Wisely recommendations, taking a closer look at the use of sedatives. Insomnia, agitation and delirium in older adults can cause significant distress to both the older...