A Queensland Government inquiry has recommended allowing pharmacists to provide some low-risk prescriptions, as well as lowering the minimum patient age requirement for pharmacist-administered vaccinations to 16 years. A parliamentary inquiry into the establishment of a pharmacy council and transfer...

Community pharmacists working within the Health Care Homes (HCH) model will have access to extensive training from October, to develop their skills in collaborative medication management services. The training program has been developed by PSA and the Pharmacy Guild of...

Victoria has begun rolling out its SafeScript real-time prescription monitoring program, prompting many to ask: When will pharmacists see a national system? Wading through the harrowing details of many thousands of prescription-drug related deaths, Australian coroners have been calling for...

The first PBS-listed treatment for active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis will be available immediately to some patients, after the Federal Government negotiated a compassionate access scheme. Simponi (golimumab) will be available on the PBS from December, to patients with the debilitating...

Momentum for pharmacist prescribing continues to grow, with a third of participants at a recent forum calling for the profession to move forward with developing models for the practice in Australia. For its Pharmacist Prescribing Forum earlier this year, the...

Patients rely on pharmacists and prescribers having mutual respect for one another, while maintaining their independence. We take a look at striking the right balance. Ian John Gilbert, 77, had a psoriasis flare-up. He visited his GP, got a script...

The international voice of Australian pharmacy has been amplified by the appointment of PSA National President Dr Shane Jackson to the International Pharmacy Federation (FIP) Community Pharmacy Section executive committee. Dr Jackson, who was elected to the position at the...

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has requested comments from interested parties on the addition of a new advisory statement for labels of non-prescription medicines containing benzocaine for topical oral use. The invitation to comment on proposed changes to the Required...

This Royal Commission is an opportunity to improve how we care for our elderly, and release the chains holding pharmacists back from preventing inappropriate use of medicines instead of being a bystander. Last month, the Federal Government announced a Royal...

Lithium is an invaluable and lifesaving treatment for a range of psychiatric disorders, but its origins lie in patent medicine and the pioneering work of an Australian doctor. People have been flocking to hot springs of lithium-heavy water for their...