3 June 2010

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

Variability in response to clopidogrel

Andrew McLachlan, Professor of Pharmacy (Aged Care) at the University of Sydney, and Terence Campbell, Head of the University Department of Medicine at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, look at possible factors contributing to variability in patients' responses to clopidogrel. The authors give suggestions for overcoming so-called 'clopidogrel resistance'.

Multiresistant infections

Infections caused by multiresistant bacteria are being seen with increasing frequency in the community. Professor John Turnidge, Clinical Director of SA Pathology in Adelaide, discusses how treatment options for these infections are limited, but in most cases a suitable drug can be found.

Managing cardiovascular disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Cardiovascular diseases are responsible for much of the reduced life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Professor Jenny Reath of the University of Western Sydney’s School of Medicine and Associate Professor Ngiare Brown of the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Sydney look at how calculators may underestimate the absolute risk of a cardiovascular event. Risk factors need to be modified, and the authors argue that screening and drug therapy may need to be started sooner than in other people. Comorbidities are common, and psychosocial and other factors need to be considered.

The safety of plasma-derived products in Australia

Dr Andrew Guirguis and Dr Erica Wood of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service and the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne discuss the preparation and use of plasma-derived products in Australia, and the importance of correct storage and handling.

TGA’s Medication Safety Update

• AUST R and AUST L numbers – why are they important?
• Sibutramine
• Drug-induced pancreatitis and exenatide (Byetta)

To view the full articles go to www.australianprescriber.com

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.