North Queensland Pharmacy Pilot announcement
Queensland pharmacists may be aware of the recent announcement from Queensland Health offering community pharmacists and community pharmacy owners the opportunity to make an expression of interest to participate in the North Queensland Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot (the Pilot). It is a research pilot to investigate an expansion in the scope of pharmacist practice […]
Practising ‘good’ dispensing
PDL has recently updated the Guide to Good Dispensing to reflect changes in the dispensing process that have arisen from changes in technology and legislation, such as the introduction of electronic prescriptions and active ingredient prescribing. PDL Professional Officers would like to remind pharmacists that good dispensing requires a systematic approach, risk assessment and clear […]
Resources for guidance on proprietor oversight
NSW members were sent a Forum communique in October 2022 about the joint initiative between the Pharmacy Council of NSW, NSW Health and the pharmacy organisations representing most NSW pharmacists. As mentioned in the communique, the purpose of the Forum is to: • monitor regulatory issues that impact on the governance and performance of NSW […]
Reminder: Be alert but not alarmed
In December 2020, PDL released a Practice Alert titled “Be alert but not alarmed“. This alert reminded pharmacists of some of the common dispensing errors reported to PDL. While much has happened within the profession since that time, it is concerning to see that many of the same errors and error types continue to occur. […]
2022 in review
It has been another big year in pharmacy, and PDL is aware of the ongoing pressure Australian pharmacists have been under. The COVID-19 pandemic, staffing shortages, public aggression and workload issues are just some of the challenges pharmacists have faced. We would like to congratulate PDL members for the service you have continued to provide […]
Opioid Therapy Program management resources
As a PDL NSW member, you may have seen the Forum communique sent on 13 October 2022 regarding the joint initiative between the Pharmacy Council of NSW, NSW Health and the pharmacy organisations representing most NSW pharmacists. As mentioned in the communique, the purpose of the Forum is to: • monitor regulatory issues that impact […]
COVID-19 bivalent booster vaccines – important update
The recent availability of the Moderna Spikevax Bivalent Booster Vaccine has seen a rise in the number of vaccine-related calls and incident reports to PDL. With the availability of the Pfizer Comirnaty Bivalent Booster Vaccine imminent, the PDL Professional Officers would like to remind pharmacists of the need to review all vaccination procedures before offering […]
It’s that time of year – PBA registration renewal including insurance declaration
Each year, PDL receives calls from pharmacists who have overlooked their Pharmacy Board of Australia (PBA) registration renewal. This may happen due to renewal reminders being quarantined in junk or spam folders, or changes to email and postal addresses and mobile numbers. Ahpra attempts to contact lapsed registrants through all such means, but this can […]
Don’t fall for a forgery
PDL continues to see notifications involving forged prescriptions and would like to remind pharmacists of the need to be vigilant when assessing the validity of prescriptions. Forgery red flags Forged prescription incidents often involve one or more of the following: The prescription is for fentanyl, high strength oxycodone or alprazolam, especially if multiple PBS pack […]
