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National Medicines Symposium 2006: 7-9 June, CanberraNational Medicines Symposium 2006: 7-9 June, Canberra
6 June 2006
Leading health experts gather in Canberra this week for National Medicines Symposium (NMS) 2006, the fourth biennial conference on Quality Use of Medicines (QUM). Around 450 GPs, pharmacists, nurses, government personnel, researchers and academics are booked to attend the much-anticipated, three-day event focusing on the theme Balancing beliefs, benefits and harms how beliefs and behaviours influence QUM, and how we balance, measure and communicate benefits and harms.
The official program gets underway at 4.30pm on Wednesday with a lively debate titled Ethics vs. health benefits: Where do ethics fit into QUM? This discussion features international and Australian speakers discussing ethical issues around QUM, including ethical behaviour and diversity of beliefs.
Day Two begins with a Welcome Address titled Australias National Medicine Policy: Balancing stakeholders needs and expectations at 8.30am on Thursday. This looks at the governments national policy and strategy for QUM and the importance of taking a partnership approach to improve health outcomes for all Australians. The presentation is co-hosted by the newly-elected Chair of National Prescribing Service (NPS), Roger Boyd, and the Chair of the Pharmaceutical Health and Rational use of Medicines (PHARM) Committee, Richard Day.
"As the new Chair of National Prescribing Service, I am very pleased to be hosting National Medicines Symposium 2006 and I look forward to hearing many interesting presentations over the next three days", said Dr Boyd.
"NMS has achieved a strong reputation for its informative and independent content on issues relating to quality use of medicine. We are very fortunate to be able to present some of the leading authorities on QUM from Australia and overseas," he said.
Another highlight of NMS 2006 is the National QUM Awards on Thursday evening. This will be followed by an early morning presentation on Day Three by the Minister for Veterans' Affairs the Hon Bruce Billson. Minister Billson will provide an overview of the Veterans' Medicines Advice and Therapeutics Education Services (Veterans MATES).
Other presentations by QUM leaders from Australia and overseas include:
• Forum discussion - Ethics vs. health beliefs. MC: Dr Paul Collins. Debating: Professor Trisha Dunning, PHARM Committee; Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, President AMA; Dr Graeme Killer, Principal Medical Adviser DVA; Professor Paul Komesaroff, Monash University; Abd-Elmasih Malak, Honorary President FECCA; Janet McDonald AM, Chairman National Breast Cancer Centre; John Montgomery, CEO Alphapharm; Professor Kerryn Phelps, University of Sydney; Kos Sclavos, National President Pharmacy Guild.
• International speakers - Professor Jerry Avorn, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA and author of Powerful Medicines: The Benefits, Risks and Costs of Prescription Drugs. - Professor Ebba Holme Hansen, Department of Social Pharmacy, Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark. - Professor Richard Laing, Medical Officer, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland and one of the authors of the report Priority Medicines for Europe and the World.
• National speakers including: Dr Rohan Hammett, Therapeutic Goods Administration, Prof Ian Hickie, Brain and Mind Institute and Beyond Blue, John Mendoza, CEO Mental Health Council of Australia , Professor Stephen Myers, Director Australian Centre for Complementary Medicine, Prof. Lloyd Sansom, Chair PBAC.
Interview opportunities with Australian and international speakers are available. Other spokespeople for the symposium include: Dr Roger Boyd, Chair NPS; Dr Lynn Weekes, CEO NPS and Prof. Ric Day, Chair PHARM.
ENDS
NPS is an independent, non-profit organisation for Quality Use of Medicines funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.
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Date published: 2006-06-06 00:00:00
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