*ABSORBED UP TO TWICE AS FAST AS STANDARD NUROFEN

NUROFEN JUST GOT FASTERTHAN STANDARD NUROFEN

Tuesday 7th April 2009

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Pharmacy Daily Tuesday 7th April 2009 T 1300 799 220 W www.pharmacydaily.com.au page 1

This week’s updatefrom the Guild

The Quality Quest 2009How healthy is your pharmacy?

THE first Quality Questworkshop, organised by theQuality Care Pharmacy Program(QCPP), was a huge success atthis year’s APP Conference. If you have been thinking thatthere are better ways of doingthings in your pharmacy it isprobably because there are! But where do you start? More than 80 attendees heardhow to begin the change processfrom quality improvementconsultants, who worked closelywith three QCPP accreditedpharmacies for a period of fourmonths. Attendees were shown how ademographic analysis ofsurrounding areas could bepractically applied by adjustingopen hours and ultimatelyincreasing customer traffic. - How flow charts can be usedto make improvements in theareas of induction training,equipment calibration, DoseAdministration Aids servicing andworkplace safety. - That carefully plotted causeand effect charts can reduceerrors and improve the processof induction and product trainingfor staff. This valuable workshop clearlyshowed the power of applyingquality improvement tools, andusing data to take a pharmacy’squality assurance system to thenext level. Attendee feedback of theworkshop was very positive andthe Quality Quest hopes to beback in 2010: “Brilliant concept!”; “Most appreciated and wellworth the journey!”; “Helped me think about problemsolving and the skills involved.”; “Good to sit down and spendtime thinking about issues inyour pharmacy and areas toimprove.”

WIN TAN IN A CANLe Tan has again teamed up with Pharmacy Daily givingreaders the chance to win a can of the new Le Tan JetDry.Le Tan Jet Dry is the perfect last minute tan solution thatcan be applied before work or a night out on the townwith the confidence it will be competely dry and readywhen clothing is put on three minutes later.Le Tan Jet Dry is infused with vanilla fragrance making itone of the most pleasantly scented tans available.Each 100g can retails for $12.99, and to receive your veryown can for FREE, simply send through the correct answerto the following question:

Where can you buy Le Tan Jet Dry?Email your answer to: comp@pharmacydaily.com.au..The first correct entry received each day will win theprize, so get those entries in quick!Hint: Visit the Le Tan website at: www.letanfast.com.au...

CONGRATULATIONS to Renae Arnold ofGuardian Pharmacies who was yesterday’s winner.

RRRRRaptiva withdaptiva withdaptiva withdaptiva withdaptiva withdrawal gradrawal gradrawal gradrawal gradrawal gradualualualualual

PPPPPort Stephens clort Stephens clort Stephens clort Stephens clort Stephens clinicinicinicinicinic THETHETHETHETHE Health Department says it’ssigned an agreement with Ruraland Metropolitan Health Pty Ltd toprovide $2.5 million for theestablishment of the Port StephensGP Super Clinic. The clinic will be located in themain shopping precinct of NelsonBay on the NSW north coast andprovide “integrated health servicesto meet the needs and priorities ofthe local community”, with a strongfocus on preventative care andchronic disease management,especially in the area of diabetes.

BrBrBrBrBreast cancer least cancer least cancer least cancer least cancer listingistingistingistingisting THETHETHETHETHE first nanoparticle drug to beapproved by the Therapeutic GoodsAdministration has now also beenPBS-listed, providing an affordablenew treatment option for womenwith metastatic breast cancer. Abraxane (nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel) is approved forthe treatment of metastaticcarcinoma of the breast after thefailure of anthracycline therapy. More than 80 Australian patientshave already been treated withAbraxane free of charge after thelaunch of the company-sponsored‘Abraxane Patient Access Program’(PDPDPDPDPD 29 Jan).

Self carSelf carSelf carSelf carSelf care ade ade ade ade advicevicevicevicevice AAAAAUSTRALIANUSTRALIANUSTRALIANUSTRALIANUSTRALIAN Self-MedicationIndustry marketing managerGraham Birch says pharmaciesshould make the most of the global‘self care’ trend and change theway they manage front of counterbusiness in order to flourish. Speaking at APP on the GoldCoast on Fri, Birch outlined“relatively simple adjustments” thatpharmacists can make to result in asignificant boost to profitability. He showed figures revealing thatin a study of 80 pharmacies, thenine most profitable categories infront of shop - including cough/cold/hayfever, S3s and analgesics -generated a significant net profit. However this was wiped out by aloss in less profitable categories.such as gifts, haircare and cosmetics. “Front of shop should get morefocus, and if managed correctlycould do a lot to boost totalprofitability at a time when thedispensary business is beingsqueezed,” Birch told PDPDPDPDPD.

LowLowLowLowLow-d-d-d-d-dose aspirinose aspirinose aspirinose aspirinose aspirin BABABABABAYERYERYERYERYER has released a new‘cardio aspirin’ to help reduce therisk of heart attack and stroke. Aspro Protect follows recent NPSrecommendations that low-doseaspirin be considered for allpatients at high cardiovascular risk. Aspro Protect 100mg givespatients the option of purchasingaspiring specifically for heartprotection, and at the mostcommonly recommended dailydose without having to split tablets.

MERCKMERCKMERCKMERCKMERCK Serono has reiteratedthat although psoriasis treatmentRaptiva (efalizumab) will bewithdrawn from the Australianmarket on 29 May (PDPDPDPDPD 13 Mar), itis important that patients notdiscontinue the drug suddenlywithout alternative therapy. A number of PharPharPharPharPharmacy Dailmacy Dailmacy Dailmacy Dailmacy Dailyyyyy

readers have expressed concernabout the withdrawal, with somepharmacies reportedly advising thatthe drug is now unavailable. In response to these queries,Merck told PDPDPDPDPD that Raptiva is “stilla registered product and still ableto be written on prescription andreimbursed via the PBS. “Patients will still be on Raptivaand may present scripts to be filleduntil the end of May. Orders forRaptiva from wholesalers should befilled in the normal manner,” thecompany advised. Immediate cessation of Raptivawithout substitution treatment maybe followed by a significant reboundof the condition, incl recurrence ofpsoriasis or emergence of newmorphologies, such as pustular anderythrodermic psoriasis, Merck said.

Tuesday 7th April 2009

Pharmacy Daily Thursday 2nd April 2009 T 1300 799 220 W www.pharmacydaily.com.au page 2Pharmacy Daily Tuesday 7th April 2009 T 1300 799 220 W www.pharmacydaily.com.au page 2

PharmacyCONFIDENTIAL

WELCOMEWELCOMEWELCOMEWELCOMEWELCOME to PharmacyConfidential, a new feature inwhich anonymous informantsshare some of the rampantrumours circulating in theAustralian pharmacy industry. No names, no details, guesswho and don’t sue....

• What prominentnational pharmacybrand is associatedwith the purchase

of Pharmacy Direct from Coles?Your answer could be white orwrong.

• Who formerlyworked as a rep forthe generics offshootof a major pharma,but at the same time

was caught working at a rubberystand at a trade show, and whenquestioned about whether he wasworking for two companies at thesame time, resigned instantly onthe spot from the generics firm?Hint: He now runs a newly formedpharmacy banner group in NSWwhich is associated with anopposition prescription genericsupplier!

Email your anonymous tips to:confidential@pharmacydaily.com.auPharmacy Confidential is brought toyou byChemsave, -our 7% PBSdiscount is nosecret! www.chemsave.com.au

?????

AN AN AN AN AN iron deficiency could bebehind Prime Minister KevinRudd’s highly publicised “in-flighttantrum” in which he allegedlyberated an RAAF flight attendantwho wasn’t able to serve him anon-red meat meal. The Sun Herald reported onopposition agriculture spokesmanJohn Cobb, who said the PM’swhite meat-only diet could explainhis tetchy behaviour. “Without iron in their diet aperson will become pale, insipid,wishy-washy, anaemic and proneto outrageous outbursts,” he said,with his tongue firmly in his cheek. “A lamb chop or steak wouldput colour in his cheeks and ironin his soul,” Cobb added,admitting that “if you denied mea chop, I’d have serious angermanagement issues too.”

DOCTORSDOCTORSDOCTORSDOCTORSDOCTORS in China haveremoved a broken syringe needlefrom the backside of a man,who’s been very uncomfortablefor the last 31 years. 55-year-old Lao Du, ofZhengzhou, said he visited an‘amateurish doctor’ in hishometown village in 1978, whotried to give him an inoculation. “The needle broke off once itpierced my bum,” he said, withother doctors unable to find theoffending article. Pain from the needle becameworse and worse, with Lao Dueventually even having difficultywalking due to the discomfort. Eventually chief surgeon at theZhengzhou People’s Hospital, FuKonglong, agreed to try to findthe item, succeeding after threehours of surgery. “It was very detailed work. Wehad to look for it in every musclefibre,” the delicate genius said.

RGH E-BulRGH E-BulRGH E-BulRGH E-BulRGH E-Bulllllletinetinetinetinetin THISTHISTHISTHISTHIS week’s edition of theRepatriation General HospitalPharmacy E-Bulletin gives anoverview of antithrombin deficiencyand treatment with anticoagulantssuch as Thrombotrol-VF and ATryn. The bulletin is available at nocharge from Chris Alderman -chris.alderman@rgh.sa.gov.au.

Be up frBe up frBe up frBe up frBe up front, pharont, pharont, pharont, pharont, pharmacists!macists!macists!macists!macists! PHARMAPHARMAPHARMAPHARMAPHARMACISTSCISTSCISTSCISTSCISTSmust ‘get out thefront’ of shop andconcentrate onproviding advice inkey OTC categoriessuch as allergy,according to a panelof pharmacy advisersconvened bySchering-Plough toreview recentpharmacy marketresearch. Business adviser Bruce Annabelsaid pharmacy needs to “developand occupy a ‘relevant position’” ifit’s to survive in the longer term. “The relevant position for some isgoing to be the cheapest andmaybe the biggest,” he said. “The others are going to have tobe very convenient, with fantasticformat and services focused onproviding solutions to people’sproblems so the advice, the skillsset, the information supplied toconsumers combined with theproduct, gives you the outcome.Pharmacists need to get out thefront,” Annabel added. The group also included theUniversity of Sydney’s ProfessorPeter Carroll, who urged pharmacyto differentiate itself from otheroutlets - particularly supermarkets“and ensure that if a patient

purchases an S2 or S3 product,appropriate professionalcounselling and follow-up isundertaken to ensure that thedesired outcomes are achieved. “Consumers receive noprofessional advice on medicines atthe supermarket checkout,” he said. PPPPPicturicturicturicturictured aboveed aboveed aboveed aboveed above are the panelmembers, back row from left: BruceAnnabel; former Guild PresidentColin Johns. Front row: Peter Carroll,as well as “successful Sydneypharmacy entrepeneurs” WarrenTurner and Brendan O’Loughlin.

New orphan dNew orphan dNew orphan dNew orphan dNew orphan drrrrrugsugsugsugsugs THETHETHETHETHE Therapeutic GoodsAdministration has designatedthree new orphan drugs. Additions include GSK’s Patorma(pazopanib) tablets for thetreatment of renal cell carcinoma;Mundipharma’s Fosodine(forodesine) tablets and solution forinjection for the treatment ofcutaneous T-cell lymphoma; andNovartis’ panobinostat capsules forthe treatment of cutaneous T-celllymphoma.

PPPPPrivacy paramountrivacy paramountrivacy paramountrivacy paramountrivacy paramount THETHETHETHETHE NSW Pharmacy Board hasreminded pharmacy staff about therisks of putting private informationon the internet, after it received anofficial complaint about a ‘blog’entry by an intern pharmacist. The pharmacist posted amessage online about a prominentperson they had served that day,naively believing that the onlineinformation was only accessible tofriends authorised to read it. In this case the patient discoveredthe online posting via a mediamonitoring service, and sent asolicitor’s letter complaining aboutthe privacy breach. “The pharmacist is now verymuch aware of the error of theirways,” the Board said, warning that“virtually nothing you put on theweb is totally private.”