Community pharmacist-led interventions have been shown to improve adherence and health outcomes for patients with chronic diseases but a number of barriers remain. Researchers from New Zealand conducted a systematic review across medical and pharmaceutical journals to examine the role...

People diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease often experience symptoms of apathy, which can be treated by pharmacological and behavioural interventions. The purpose of this evidence summary is to present the best available evidence regarding the pharmacological management of apathy in...

Up to 42% of an active drug can be lost through common crushing activities, a study comparing devices and methods has found. Via a validated UV method, researchers from University of Queensland used a white, round and scored immediate release...

Q: A blackout knocked out power to our fridges. How do I determine what is still safe to use? A: Refrigeration is required for temperature-sensitive products to maintain product efficacy and safety. While you determine what is still safe to use,...

Research into older Australians taking multiple medicines has highlighted fragmented communication between prescribers and shortcomings in patient understanding of their various medicines. In a study published in the International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, Adelaide researchers surveyed 40 people aged over...

‘The doctor comes with free good will, but ne’er forgets his calomel’ The highly toxic ‘cure-all’ calomel is all but forgotten today, but it was administered across the world from the 17th century until the 1950s, causing a litany of...

A national pharmacy-led working group dedicated to improving the quality use of medicines for older Australians has issued 10 recommendations for better integrating healthcare to provide consumer-centred medication management in the aged population. The working group was one of several...

A pilot study investigating loss of medicines due to cold chain breaches (CCB) in community pharmacies in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Australia, has found a lack of knowledge on the correct procedures to follow in the case of...

Heart failure (HF), also referred to as congestive cardiac failure, is present in 1–2% of the Australian population.1 It is the end result of a number of different pathophysiological processes in which there is loss or impairment of functioning...

Scenario A 70-year-old male patient is being discharged from hospital today and you note that swallowing difficulties are detailed in his case history. The dispensing pharmacist has dispensed the patient’s discharge medications and has labelled simvastatin with cautionary advisory label...