6 April 2010

Australian Prescriber

The April edition of Australian Prescriber is out now and looks at topical issues including:

H1N1 immunisation – too much too soon?

Professor Peter Collignon, Director of the Infectious Diseases Unit and Microbiology Department at the Canberra Hospital, discusses mass immunisation programs.

Management of renal bone disease

Dr Darren Roberts and Dr Richard Singer of the Renal unit at the Canberra Hospital outline the systemic complications of renal bone disease, which can be minimised through careful prescribing of drugs and dialysis to achieve specific biochemical targets. The authors recommend early referral to a nephrologist for monitoring, treatment and early diet advice.

New oral anticoagulant drugs

In 2008, two new oral anticoagulant drugs were registered in Australia for the prevention of venous thrombosis after elective knee or hip replacement. Dr Timothy Brighton, haematologist at Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, compares the mechanisms of rivaroxaban and dabigatran etexilate and discusses their potential advantages over heparin and warfarin. Alex Gallus, Professor of Haematology at Flinders University, Adelaide, analyses the clinical applications of the two drugs.

Medicines Safety Update

Medicines Safety Update replaces the Australian Adverse Drug Reactions Bulletin and is now part of Australian Prescriber. This edition provides information about the safety of fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids.

NPS News #67

The April edition of NPS News covers COPD and smoking cessation. To view the full publication visit www.nps.org.au/nps_news

ENDS

Australian Prescriber is an independent peer-reviewed journal providing critical commentary on therapeutic topics for health professionals, particularly doctors in general practice. It is published by National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS), an independent, non-profit organisation for Quality Use of Medicines funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.