Demonstrate The Value Of Pharmacy, Australia

08 Aug 2007
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/78994.php

A newly launched National Prescribing Service (NPS) campaign - "Get to Know Your Medicines" - offers a great opportunity for pharmacists to demonstrate the valuable role they play in Australia's health sector, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) National President Brian Grogan says.

The NPS launched the campaign last Monday, August 6. It aims to increase consumer awareness and understanding about the medicines they are taking in order to minimise the possibilities of side effects and interactions. More details are available from the NPS website at http://www.nps.org.au

Every year in Australia almost 200 million prescriptions are dispensed, representing 10 medications per person. Statistics gathered over the past 10 years clearly show many problems associated with taking medicines. More than 140,000 people are hospitalised every year as a result of medication-related problems with evidence showing that between 50-75% of these are preventable.

The NPS campaign is supported by a television advertisement advising viewers to talk to their pharmacist or doctor, or alternatively to call the Medicines Line.

"The campaign makes it clear that the first avenue consumers should take when looking for medicines advice is to seek the advice directly from their health professional," Mr Grogan said.

"Since pharmacists offer the most accessible form of health-care advice, and possess unique skills in pharmacotherapy, it is important that they are ready to cope with any increase in public inquiries.

"It's a great way for Australia's pharmacy profession to showcase its skills and expertise.

"I would urge pharmacists to ensure they are familiar with PSA's Consumer Information and the Pharmacist Guidelines and the Standards for the Provision of Pharmacy Medicines and Pharmacist Only Medicines in Community Pharmacy to prepare for any increase in public inquiries.

"It is important that pharmacists are mindful of their professional obligation to see that a patient has all the necessary information to enable them to make informed decisions about their medicines - this is one of the pillars of the Quality Use of Medicines principles.

"One of the important ways such information is disseminated is through Consumer Medicine Information leaflets, information created by product sponsors specifically for the benefit of consumers.

"PSA is aware that some pharmacists are less than satisfied with aspects of the current CMI leaflets, but whatever our reservations, researchers have shown that consumers want this information and it is their right to receive it.

"PSA has strongly advised pharmacists against withholding CMI."

Specific circumstances where CMI should generally be provided include:

-- when a medicine is first provided to the consumer;
-- when brand substitution occurs and it is deemed appropriate;
-- the dosage form has been changed (e.g. from injection to tablet);
-- with each supply of medicine for which regular reinforcement of information may be required - e.g. the medication is cytotoxic, teratogenic, or there are major contraindications to the use of a medicine;
-- at the request of the consumer;
-- when the consumer has special needs;
-- at regular intervals for medicines used for long-term therapy (e.g. every six months, or on dispensing the last repeat of a prescription with five repeats);
-- when the pharmacist has received advice that a sponsor has made significant changes to the CMI

"I would urge all pharmacists and trained pharmacy technicians and assistants to use the NPS campaign as an opportunity to demonstrate to the general public the value of the services they provide."

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia is the organisation that represents the professional interests of Australia's 16,000 pharmacists. It provides standards of practice, education, training and practice support for pharmacists and helps members of the profession to deliver the best health care to their patients.