10 February 2006

NPS is calling for abstracts for the 2006 National Medicines Symposium (NMS) – a biennial forum on Quality Use of Medicines (QUM). The theme for the 2006 Symposium is balancing beliefs, benefits and harms to showcase international and national best practice in QUM.

Submission of abstracts for oral or poster presentations can be on areas such as clinical practice, education, research, leaderships, policy, innovations or future directions in the QUM area.

The stimulating scientific program will bring together international and Australian experts, health professionals, consumers, policy makers, project and program coordinators, researchers and academics, pharmaceutical industry, government departments, health organisations, and medical writers.

Preliminary program highlights of NMS 2006 include:

• Forum discussion – Ethics vs health beliefs. Where do ethics, QUM and beliefs cross? Is it unethical to ignore QUM? Participants include Professor Kerryn Phelps, University of Sydney and John Montgomery, CEO Alphapharm, Kos Sclavos, National President Pharmacy Guild of Australia and Janet McDonald AO, Chairman of the Board National Breast Cancer Centre.
• International speakers:
• • Professor Jerry Avorn from the Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA and author of Powerful Medicines: The Benefits, Risks and Costs of Prescription Drugs.
  • Professor Ebba Holme Hansen from the Department of Social Pharmacy, Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Copenhagen.
  • Professor Richard Laing, Medical Officer at WHO in Geneva Switzerland and one of the authors of the report Priority Medicines for Europe and the World.

Time is running out to submit an abstract. Abstracts must be submitted via www.nps.org.au/events.

The preliminary program and registration brochure is also available from www.nps.org.au/events or contact the Symposium Secretariat on (07) 3844 1138 or email nms2006@icms.com.au to receive a copy by post.

Early bird registration closes on 21 April 2006.

National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) is a member-based organisation providing accurate, balanced, evidencebased information and services to health professionals and the community on Quality Use of Medicines (QUM). To achieve this we work in partnership with GPs, pharmacists, specialists, other health professionals, government, pharmaceutical industry, consumer organisations and the community. NPS is an independent, non-profit organisation funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.