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NPS Member Update: September 2008NPS Member Update: September 2008

In this issue

NPS new-look website is live!

You’ll notice that the NPS website looks different. The new, user-friendly design aims to make searching for the most relevant and up-to-date information about medicines much easier and we would appreciate your feedback on the new-look site.

Shaped by analysis of user needs and consultations with key users, the redesign and rebuild of the site has been a very large project.

When we were designing it, users told us the following:

  • Health professionals identified their key needs as professional education, finding information or resources about a particular condition or medicine for a patient and keeping up-to-date with new medicines and medicines news.
  • Consumers wanted to find information about medicines that was written for them, and that was about a treatment for a certain condition. They also wanted to know about managing their health and/or their medicines, and to be able to share these resources with others.

We aim to deliver a truly magnetic site, which attracts users again and again — and we would appreciate your support in informing people in your organisation about the redesign.

If you would like more information or have comments or suggestions, please contact us.

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Events centre on NPS site — are you listed?

Relevant events can be promoted through the Events centre on the new-look NPS website. Use this simple online form to submit event details. Check to see other event listings while you’re there.

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National GP Survey June 2008

After nine years of NPS quality use of medicines educational visiting full results of the April 2008 NPS GP survey will soon be released.

The survey provides data about GPs’ knowledge of evidence-based prescribing practices, use of information sources and awareness of NPS education materials, services and programs.

Of the 834 survey respondents, 69.5% were aware of NPS educational visits and there was a high awareness of NPS health professional materials including Australian Prescriber (95.4%), NPS RADAR (92.4%), NPS News (86.9%) and Prescribing Practice Review (90.4%).

We will advise you when the full survey results are on the NPS website.

If you have questions regarding this information, please contact us.

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NPS refunding submission

Work is progressing on NPS’s submission to the Department of Health and Ageing for continuation of funding for the next four years. The submission will be completed in the coming months for consideration by the Federal Government.

The submission includes a comprehensive report on our track record and the impact our work has had, promoting Quality Use of Medicines and the tools that lead to better decision-making by health professional and consumers alike.

Refunding activity will be supported by a communications strategy to members and other stakeholders to raise awareness of our plans for the coming years.

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NPS 10-year plan

The NPS 10-year plan has reached final draft stage after a series of workshops and discussions with staff and the board to agree on major high level goals. NPS is looking forward to widening and deepening its reach over the coming decade, raising awareness of Quality Use of Medicines and bringing the benefits into people’s daily lives.

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NPS AGM and Members Planning Day

The NPS AGM followed by the Members Planning Day will be held on Friday 21 November 2008 at the Sydney Masonic Centre, Goulburn Street, Sydney. Please mark this date in your diary.

Further details will be communicated in the coming months.

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Campaign for Italian and Chinese communities

NPS and the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) work together to promote the safe and wise use of medicines by culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

On 1 September 2008, we launched a national Get to know your medicines campaign with Chinese and Italian speaking seniors.

The campaign commenced with in language radio advertisements, a direct mail out and new multilingual pages on the NPS website, where people can access resources, listen to the radio advertisements and download translated PowerPoint presentations which will be used in the education seminars.

This campaign will include:

  • Radio advertising and interviews in Cantonese, Mandarin and Italian on SBS National, 2AC, 2CR, 3CW and Rete Italia
  • Approximately 77 in-language community education seminars will run nationally through 16 Chinese and Italian organisations
  • New translated resources, including a bilingual Medicine List and a list of questions to ask the doctor or pharmacist about medicines
  • Distribution of the new resources, bilingual Medimates and campaign information through a direct mail out of the order form to nearly 16,000 organisations, including GP practices, community and hospital pharmacies and multicultural organisations.

From October there will be a 2009 Italian Get to know your medicines calendar available with pictures donated by the Italian Historical Society Victoria and CO.AS.IT Victoria.

Are you or your networks interested in ordering free copies of translated medicine information resources?

Simply complete the fax order form attached to this letter to order hard copies. The resources are also available electronically on the website.

Please email us if you are interested in further information on the campaign or specifically:

  • dates and locations of community education seminars run by Chinese and Italian organisations in your state or territory, during October and November 2008
  • acquiring a presentation pack to run a medicines seminar in Chinese or Italian, or
  • obtaining a recording of the Chinese or Italian radio community service announcement for your website or community radio station.

We encourage you to pass this article around to relevant networks to share this information.

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Generic medicines are an equal choice campaign 2008

The Generic medicines are an equal choice campaign for 2008 is underway. In July, NPS launched television commercials reminding consumers that generic medicines are an equal choice.

This year’s campaign is aimed at consumers over 50 and is being developed to include the key message that generic medicines have the same active ingredient.

Since the initial round of television commercials, NPS has worked with a number of groups to develop the campaign for health professionals and consumers.

At the end of September pharmacists will receive a pharmacy tool kit, which will assist staff to educate consumers who use generic medicines to learn about the active ingredient in their medicine. Pharmacy tools will be available for reorder.

Also from September, consumers will be encouraged to speak with their doctor or pharmacist to discuss if they are able to use generic medicines and to understand what the active ingredient is in their medicines. This will be addressed through the NPS website and internet activity such as banner advertising and pharmacy in store advertising.

More information about the campaign will be provided shortly.

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Common colds campaign

This year’s Common colds need common sense, not antibiotics campaign included a partnership workforce strategy to reach 18–34-year-old women.

Partners in the workforce strategy include the National Safety Council of Australia (NSCA) Pfizer, Ross Human Directions and Parliament House, Canberra

A new creative direction was adopted and partners received postcard sets, posters with campaign key messages and a link to a scripted OH&S presentation.

Our chair, Dr Janette Randall appeared on the Mornings with Kerri-Anne show on Channel 9 in a 4-minute segment focusing on the appropriate treatment for the common cold. Following the airing of this segment on 8 August, calls to Medicines Line spiked in relation to enquiries on the common cold.

Please continue to support this campaign by ordering campaign resources, including the updated campaign brochure, posters, colour-in stencils, newsletter articles, pads for health professionals to prescribe/recommend management of patients’ symptoms and leaflets for consumers.

Resources can be ordered on 02 8217 8700 or via the website.

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New dementia program roll out

NPS therapeutic topic, ‘Treating the symptoms of dementia’, was launched in August.

This is a key therapeutic topic. It will incorporate NPS Facilitators visiting GPs, Facilitators engaging in small group case study discussions with a wide range of health professionals and case study.

The topic’s key messages include:

  • Use non-pharmacological strategies at all stages.
  • Benefits of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine are small, some people will not respond and adverse effects are common.
  • Monitor and objectively assess the effectiveness of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine if they are to be used.
  • Trial a withdrawal of antipsychotics if there are no clear beneficial effects.
  • Plan to review medications regularly as well as opportunistically.
  • Counsel patients and their carers on the limited benefits of drug therapy.

NPS News (no. 59) and the 43rd edition of Prescribing Practice Review (PPR) are also dedicated to this topic.

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Latest editions of NPS publications

Five publications and a position statement were released in late July or early August.

Consumer publications

Treating and beating depression is the main article in the MedicinesTalk winter edition.

Two editions of Medicine Update were released: Sitagliptin (Januvia) for type 2 diabetes and Duloxetine (Cymbalta) for major depression.

Health professional publications

Australian Prescriber contains articles on:

  • Undertreatment of rural people with cardiovascular disease
  • Subsidised medicines for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
  • Restless legs syndrome
  • Preventing foot ulcers
  • Medicinal mishap Severe hyponatraemia due to mirtazapine
  • To mix or not to mix — compatibilities of parenteral drug solutions
  • Experimental and clinical pharmacology Incretin mimetics and enhancers: mechanisms of action
  • New drug reviews on: fosaprepitant, idursulfase, paricalcitol and temsirolimus.

To help prescribers and pharmacists counsel patients concerned about the sleep-related adverse effects associated with zolpidem (Stilnox), NPS published a position statement on the drug and sleep-related behaviours.

The position statement explains the background to the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s decision to impose a boxed warning on zolpidem and describes the current place of this hypnotic drug in insomnia therapy.

NPS RADAR reviews sitagliptin and duloxetine, along with:

  • escitalopram (Lexapro, Esipram) for generalised anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder (social phobia)
  • memantine (Ebixa) for dementia in moderately severe Alzheimer’s disease
  • the role of automatic eGFR reporting in screening for kidney disease and drug - dosing decisions.
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International index adds Australian Prescriber

The US-based Thomson Reuters organisation has added Australian Prescriber to its journal citation and science citation indexes. Australian Prescriber is also indexed by the Iowa Drug Information Service, the Australasian Medical Index and EMBASE/Excerpta Medica.

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Contact us to receive more information on any of the topics in this newsletter or to change your email address, subscribe or unsubscribe to NPS Member Update.

NPS Member Update is a regular publication from the National Prescribing Service Limited.

Date published: 2008-09-12 00:00:00

Reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the date of creation. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical advice from a qualified health professional. Health professionals should rely on their own expertise and enquiries when providing medical advice or treatment. Where permitted by law, NPS disclaims all liability (including for negligence) for any loss, damage or injury resulting from reliance on or use of this information. Read our full disclaimer.

References to brands should not be taken as an endorsement by NPS.