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NPS Member Update: December 2008 NPS Member Update: December 2008

2008 Annual General Meeting and Members’ Planning Day

The 2008 Annual General Meeting and Members’ Planning Day was held on 21 November 2008 at the Sydney Masonic Centre.

The theme for this year’s planning day was Shaping the future of medicines and explored what the next 10 years may hold for quality use of medicines in Australia. In previous years the planning days have primarily sought input and feedback about NPS programs and projects. This year we looked more broadly at the implications of policy, social and technological changes across the industry and what this may mean for NPS and its members.

We were very privileged to have the following speakers participate in our Leaders’ Forum:

  • Camilla Cooke: Digital strategist
  • Professor Justin Beilby: Commissioner, National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission
  • Erica Mann: Managing Director, Wyeth Australia
  • Peter Fleming: CEO, National E-Health Transition Authority
  • Darlene Cox: Executive Director, Health Care Consumers’ Association ACT
  • Professor Michael Kidd: Associate Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney.

Audience feedback was extremely positive, describing the Leaders’ Forum as thought provoking, informative, engaging, and a great source of information about current and future trends. 

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.

A report from the planning day—including outcomes from the workshops and next steps—will be published to delegates and member organisations in the near future.

National Primary Health Care Strategy

The Australian Government recently released the discussion paper Towards a national primary health care strategy. The deadline for receipt of submissions is Friday 27 February 2009.

Many NPS members will be providing input to this paper. However, NPS also views this as an opportunity for members to reinforce the importance of incorporating QUM principles into any future primary health care system.

The discussion paper is available at the Department of Health and Ageing website.

New Drug Use Evaluation (DUE) tool: Analgesic use for persistent pain in aged care homes

NPS has launched its third DUE tool—Analgesic use for persistent pain in aged care homes—to improve the level of pain relief available to aged care residents.

  • Completion of the DUE helps health professionals:
  • Determine the appropriateness of the use of analgesic medication for managing persistent pain within the aged care home
  • Identify opportunities for improving quality use of these drugs
    Help aged care homes meet components of the Residential Care Standards issued by the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency
  • Comply with the Australian Pharmaceutical Advisory Council Guidelines for Medication Management in Residential Aged Care Facilities
  • Provide facility-focused activities to promote the quality use of medicines (in line with Pharmaceutical Society of Australia guidelines and standards).

Health professionals register their participation online, and completion of the DUE answer the post-activity evaluation survey can earn continuing professional development (CPD) points from many health professional organisations. The DUE toolkits are available at http://www.nps.org.au/due.
Other DUEs available from NPS aid with the use of hypnotics in treating insomnia, and the use of antipsychotic drugs in behavioural disturbance of dementia.

Generic medicines campaign

Since NPS was approached by the Department of Health and Ageing to re-run its 2007 national awareness campaign Generic medicines are an equal choice, we have successfully reached health professionals and consumers through newsletters, television commercials, websites, pharmacy in-store television commercials, national and local media, and online and print advertising in seniors magazines and Woman’s Day. An evaluation report on the generic medicines campaign will be available in December.

NPS has a number of organisations to thank in making this campaign a success, including:

  • Council on the Ageing
  • Consumers Health Forum of Australia
  • Pharmacy Guild of Australia
  • Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
  • Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia
  • Generic Medicines Industry of Australia
  • Australian Medical Association
  • Rural Doctors Association of Australia
  • Australian General Practice Network.

Members and partners are welcome to forward NPS Generic Medicines website landing pages to their branches and members:

We are rolling out phase 3 of the generic medicines campaign from the end of January, promoting the campaign through the Council on the Ageing, peer education sessions and to culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Complementary medicines research project

NPS has been undertaking a broad research program to look at the information needs and preferences of consumers and health professionals. We have just released two research reports examining the needs of consumers, pharmacists and general practitioners - they are available on our website.

Infective endocarditis: new patient information leaflet

Health professionals have access to a new patient information leaflet about antibiotic prophylaxis for infective endocarditis titled Preventing infections of the heart.

In July 2008, Therapeutic Guidelines Australia published revised guidelines recommending antibiotic prophylaxis for fewer heart conditions. The leaflet describes the changes to the guidelines and discusses heart conditions and procedures that warrant prophylaxis.

This online resource will help dentists, doctors and other health professionals explain the changes to patients, especially those who may be anxious about how the changes will affect them. The Australian Dental Association, Therapeutic Guidelines Australia and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand have all endorsed the leaflet.

Health professionals can download the leaflet here.

Type 2 diabetes GP clinical e-audit: virtual tour now available

A virtual tour is now available on the NPS website to highlight the key elements of the GP clinical e-audit: Optimising management of type 2 diabetes.

For further information on this clinical e-audit please visit www.nps.org.au/healthpro.

Latest publications

Australian Prescriber contains articles on:

  • Controlling complementary medicine claims
  • Hypnotic hazards: adverse effects of zolpidem and other z-drugs
  • Lifestyle management of hypertension
  • Managing the cardiovascular complications of chronic kidney disease
  • Modern management of thyroid replacement therapy
  • Medicines Australia Code of Conduct: breaches
  • Dental notes: New guidelines for infective endocarditis prophylaxis
  • Top 10 drugs
  • New drugs reviews: maraviroc and romiplostim
  • Book reviews on Therapeutic Guidelines: Cardiovascular, Version 5 and Therapeutic Guidelines: Toxicology and Wilderness, Version 1.

NPS RADAR reviews highlight the importance of patient counselling. Ensuring that oral bisphosphonates are stopped in patients who use the new formulation of zoledronic acid (Aclasta), a once-yearly infusion, is the key safety message for GPs in the review of that drug.

Zoledronic acid is given as a once-yearly infusion for osteoporosis in women with any fracture, and in men with a minimal-trauma hip fracture. Before prescribing zoledronic acid, GPs should check if patients have received their first infusion in hospital.

Reviews of the extended release formulation of tramadol (Durotram XR) for pain and quetiapine extended-release tablets (Seroquel XR) for schizophrenia also shine light on the importance of patient counselling.

The latest editions of the consumer publication Medicine Update  review zoledronic acid and tramadol. These reviews may assist health professionals when counselling patients.

Latest media releases from NPS

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 email please send your request to khosking@nps.org.au.

Kerren Hosking

Strategy & Communications
National Prescribing Service Limited
Address: Level 7, 418A Elizabeth St Surry Hills NSW 2010
Mailing address: PO Box 1147 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012
Phone: 02 8217 8796
Mobile: 0408 226 397
Fax: 02 9211 7578   
Email: khosking@nps.org.au
Website: www.nps.org.au

NPS Member Update is a regular publication from the National Prescribing Service Limited, Level 7/418A Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010, AUSTRALIA. email: info@nps.org.au, Website: www.nps.org.au.

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.  

© National Prescribing Service Limited 2008
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