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Community Update 16Community Update 16

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December 2008

Welcome to the latest issue of Community Update, provided by the National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS).

The NPS Community Update, formerly known as Community e.news, helps keep you informed about issues around medicines use as they relate to the individuals and in the community.

NPS and partner organisations actively engage with communities to encourage a greater understanding of medicines and when and how to use them to improve health and wellbeing. This includes:

  • information about how to select management options wisely
  • if medicines are considered necessary, how to choose suitable medicines
  • how to store and use medicines safely and effectively.

The NPS definition of medicines includes prescription, over-the-counter, herbal and natural therapies.

The quality use of medicines is a central objective of Australia's National Medicines Policy.

If you would like to reproduce Community Update information and articles please contact us.

In this issue:

News

Events

Links to other helpful NPS publications

Free information from NPS

News

Have your say about subsidies for new medicines

When the government is deciding which medicines it should subsidise it takes into account the views of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) — an independent expert body that includes health professionals and a consumer representative. The comments of patients, carers, members of the public, health professionals and consumer interest groups are welcome.

Recently the PBAC meeting agendas (and deadlines for submissions) were made available online. To find out more visit the Department of Health and Aging website.

The next meeting is in March and the public can provide comments up until 11 February.

Comments can be submitted using an online form. To complete the consumer input form go to Online Comments to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC). When you have completed the form and pressed the SUBMIT button, your form will be sent electronically to the PBAC Secretariat and you will receive email confirmation of receipt which will include a copy of your comments. This form is also available in hardcopy on request from the PBAC Secretariat on (02) 6289 7299.

Get to know your medicines 2008 campaign: Launch to culturally and linguistically diverse communities

From September-December 2008 NPS and Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) have been running a campaign with Chinese- and Italian-speaking seniors. As part of this campaign a number of new translated resources for Chinese and Italian seniors have been developed and distributed. They include:

The campaign involved radio advertising and interviews on Rete Italia, SBS National, 2CR, 2AC, and 3CW. Chinese and Italian organisations across the country have also been running medicines seminars in Chinese and Italian languages for seniors with low English language proficiency. 

To find out more visit our campaign website or contact Jackie Stephenson via email or on 02 8217 8700.

New CALD resources

As part of the Get to know your medicines campaign, a 2009 Italian quality use of medicines calendar has been developed in partnership with Co.As.It Victoria, the Italian Historical Society and the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA).

NPS has distributed the calendars to Italian-speaking seniors through Italian organisations in every state and territory. We have a number at the Sydney office for people to order. If you would like to order the calendars for Italian seniors please email us.

In addition, a new Macedonian Medimate has been developed in conjunction with FECCA and the Macedonian Community Welfare Association (MCWA). It is available in print versions from the MCWA and in electronic version only on the NPS website.

FECCA magazine — CALD seniors in the spotlight

The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) publishes a national magazine, Australian mosaic, three times a year. Australian mosaic discusses a wide range of contemporary issues associated with multiculturalism, social justice, community harmony, and cultural and faith pluralism in Australia.

The November 2008 edition focuses on culturally and linguistically diverse Australian seniors. It includes an article about medicine-related issues these communities experience and some strategies FECCA and NPS are undertaking to promote safer, more effective use of medicines to these communities.

Read the Australian mosaic article.

Seniors and CALD activities — Generic medicines are an equal choice

From February, the National Prescribing Service Ltd (NPS) 2008/09 Generic medicines are an equal choice campaign continues with a new phase of activities and materials in development, specifically for seniors over 50 and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

The generic medicines campaign is funded by the Australian Government and provides independent information about generic medicines to consumers to help them understand their medicine options. The campaign encourages consumers to speak to their doctor or pharmacist, call Medicines Line or go to www.nps.org.au/generics for more information.

NPS also encourages consumers to:

  • Ask their doctor or pharmacist for a Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) leaflet for their medicine when having a script filled.
  • Read the new fact sheet, ‘Know the active ingredient', to help identify the name of the active ingredient in their medicine.
  • Attend a free information session about generic medicines and the safe and effective use of medicines, run by NPS and the Council on the Ageing (COTA) organisations. Seniors can register by contacting the COTA office in their state/territory.

Download the Generic medicines are an equal choice campaign newsletter or order hardcopies by contacting Liane Johnson via email or on 02 8217 8700.

Carers and medicines — NPS literature review request

The NPS is currently undertaking a literature review to explore the needs, barriers, issues and enablers for carers as they relate to the quality use of medicines (QUM). We will also review effective interventions directly targeting carers and are considering all interventions, not just those relating to medicines. 

We hope to locate as much relevant material as possible and would appreciate any suggestions of relevant data: journal articles, grey literature (e.g. government or NGO reports), websites etc. All contributions will be acknowledged in the final report. For further information or to notify us of any relevant material please contact Jess Singleton via email or on 02 8217 8700.

Four grants awarded by NPS to chronic conditions organisations

NPS will be working in partnership with four organisations who have been awarded grants as part of the NPS Community Partners Funding Scheme.

Together, NPS and each of the four chronic conditions organisations will deliver medicine-related projects targeting consumers with low health literacy. These include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse communities and people from low socio-economic backgrounds. Projects range from resource development to community education.

The four organisations are:

  • Arthritis Foundation of NSW
  • Arthritis Foundation of SA
  • Diabetes Tasmania
  • National Heart Foundation

In working with the selected partners, NPS hopes to share learnings and develop strong relationships for the mutual benefit of all participating organisations and, ultimately, the public. For more information about the program contact Jill Morris via email or on 02 8217 8700.

Information for people with a heart condition — new infective endocarditis resource

NPS has produced a new patient information leaflet for people at risk of developing infective endocarditis, an infection of the heart.

It explains how the advice about using antibiotics has changed and discusses the heart conditions and procedures that will still require antibiotics.

Infective endocarditis is an infection of the heart values or the lining of the heart and is caused by bacteria from the mouth or body entering the bloodstream and settling on the heart values. Bacteria can enter the bloodstream during some types of dental work or surgery, and so antibiotics are sometimes used to help prevent infective endocarditis. Infective endocarditis is very rare, but is more common in people with damaged or artificial heart valves.

People who have a heart condition should always tell their doctor or dentist before undergoing any treatment, and these health professionals can also provide further information about infective endocarditis. Download the patient information leaflet ‘Preventing infections of the heart’.

It has been endorsed by the Australian Dental Association, Therapeutic Guidelines and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand.

Profile: Faces in the Community — Dr John de Vries, General Practitioner 

This is the fourth article in this series profiling members of the NPS Community Quality Use of Medicines (CQUM) Working Group. The working group comprises health professionals, consumers, government and health promotion representatives, and provides strategic advice about reaching consumers to effectively share program information and messages about the best use of medicines.

Dr John de Vries is a General Practitioner working in Brisbane.  He is also a Medical Educator with CSQTC, the Brisbane-based General Practice Registrar training program. 

John started in group General Practice in Rockhampton, Queensland, in 1981, where he remained until 1992. That is also when he began his involvement with medical education. John returned to Brisbane at the end of 1992, and worked for Medicare as a Medical Adviser and continued in General Practice in an outer metropolitan area. NPS was launched during this time, and through his involvement with Medicare John says ‘I saw that NPS initiatives had immense potential to better the health and wellbeing of the Australian community’.

John is the only medical practitioner who is a member of the Community Quality Use of Medicines Working Group, and brings a medical perspective to the group’s deliberations. He says this is a great learning experience for him as he is more used to working with medically dominated groups.

In addition to his current clinical and teaching roles, John is a regular examiner for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Fellowship exam. Until recently, he was Chairman of the Logan Area Division of General Practice (Brisbane). He has also been a member of the RACGP National Quality Assurance and Continuing Education Committee.

John feels that his broad involvement with the medical profession enables him to bring a worthwhile perspective to the NPS working group he is involved with. ‘I’m pleased that my initial impression that NPS could make a major contribution to the quality use of medicines in Australia has been vindicated.’ He is keen to continue his work with NPS, helping deliver effective educational programs to the medical profession and the community.

NPS RSS feed now available

Do you want to keep up to date with information about medicines? We know that consumers wanted to find information about medicines that was written in simple language, and about treatments for a certain conditions. They also want to know how to managing their health and/or their medicines, and to be able to share these resources with others. Our new-look website has been created with these things in mind.
 
If you would like to keep up-to-date about medicines you (or your clients) can subscribe to an RSS feed or an e-alert and receive an email when new editions of Medicine Update and MedicinesTalk and other relevant materials become available. For more information contact Elayn James.
 

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Events

‘Shaping the future of medicines’ — NPS planning day

Each year NPS holds an Annual General Meeting (AGM) and combines it with the Members’ Planning Day. This year, the AGM and Members’ Planning Day was held on 21 November 2008 in Sydney.

The theme for this year was Shaping the future of medicines and participants considered what the next 10 years may hold. Previously, the planning days have primarily sought input and feedback about NPS programs and projects. This year NPS and its member organisations looked more broadly at the implications of policy, social and technological changes across the industry.

NPS was privileged to have the following speakers participate in the Leaders’ Forum and share their insights into current and future trends:
  • Professor Justin Beilby: Commissioner, National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission
  • Camilla Cooke: digital strategist
  • Darlene Cox: Executive Director, Health Care Consumers’ Association ACT
  • Peter Fleming: CEO, National E-Health Transition Authority
  • Professor Michael Kidd: Associate Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney
  • Erica Mann: Managing Director, Wyeth Australia.
A presentation in the afternoon from John Menadue AO about the future of health policy and medicines prompted a lot of discussion and challenged the audience to think differently about key policy issues. Workshops in the later part of the day built upon some of the major challenges identified.

Links to other helpful NPS publications

Medicine Update — information about a selection of new medicines  

The latest consumer publication from NPS, Medicine Update, provides information for people who are considering a new medicine, or have had a medicine suggested or prescribed for them and want to know more about it. It covers a selection of new medicines and medicines recently listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

When medicines are new, less is known about their expected benefits and possible harms than for medicines that have been available for some time. Medicine Update provides access to the available evidence to help people decide if a new medicine is right for them.

Current topics include:

Your support in making Medicine Update available to the public will help create greater awareness of the quality use of medicines. You could post a PDF version on your website and mention it in your newsletter. Medicine Update is currently only available online. However, if you would like a limited print run, we are happy to discuss your requirements.

For a copy of the current editions, or to register to receive a copy, go to the Medicine Update web page.

MedicinesTalk — articles to use in your newsletters  

Did you know that you can use MedicinesTalk articles in your newsletters?

Simply reproduce the article in full and include acknowledgment of NPS and the relevant issue date: e.g. 'Reproduced with permission, National Prescribing Service, MedicinesTalk <issue month and year>'.

The summer edition of MedicinesTalk (No. 29) will be available in late January.

Read the latest edition and find back issues on the MedicinesTalk web page. You can opt in to receive hard copies of future issues of MedicinesTalk and other free NPS information by visiting the NPS online catalogue.

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Free information from NPS

Download a summary of resources and NPS order form

NPS has many other free resources for use by community groups and health professionals.

To view and order NPS's extensive range of medicines information resources, go to NPS website catalogue.

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Follow these links to subscribe or unsubscribe from Community Update.

If you would like to keep up-to-date about medicines you can subscribe to an RSS feed or an e-alert and you’ll get an email when new editions of Medicine Update and MedicinesTalk are published on the website.

National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) is an independent, non-profit organisation for Quality Use of Medicines. We provide accurate, balanced, evidence-based information and services to help people choose if, when and how to use medicines to improve their health and wellbeing. We are member-based and work in partnership with health professionals, government, pharmaceutical industry and consumers. NPS is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.

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Date published: 2008-12-22 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.