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 […]
UTIPP-Q pilot latest announcement
Pharmacists practising in Queensland are advised that after Friday, 9 September 2022, new pharmacists and pharmacies will no longer be accepted into the UTIPP-Q pilot. The following update from Professor Lisa Nissen on behalf of the consortium managing the pilot provides further context. Thank-you to all the pharmacists and pharmacies who have participated in the […]
Be alert with varicella vaccines
PDL has recently received several incident reports where the incorrect varicella vaccine has been prescribed and/or supplied. Prescribing software programs have variations on how the vaccines are described, potentially leading to confusion for prescribers and pharmacists. Most reports indicate the intended varicella vaccine is for the prevention of chickenpox however transcription and selection errors have […]
Top 10 drugs in PDL incident reports
It is no surprise that the top four drugs on our list are Schedule 8’s (S8s). Dispensing errors can happen with any drug but the top four are also prone to diversion, forgeries and theft. Another reason this group is overrepresented is that some of them are available in immediate release (IR) and sustained release […]
Election of PDL Directors to the National Board
The following vacancies will occur as of the date of the next Annual General Meeting to be held on 20 October 2022 One Director for the State of Victoria One Director for the State of Tasmania The two incumbent Directors whose terms expire at the 2022 Annual General Meeting (Paul Naismith in Victoria and Joe […]
Schedule 8 medicines management – tips to avoid the pitfalls
Schedule 8 medicines, in particular opioids, are often involved in notifications to PDL. An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report on opioid harm in Australia, published in 2018, highlighted that three people die every day from drug-induced deaths involving opioid use, while nearly 150 hospitalisations and 14 emergency department admissions occur every day involving […]
UTIPP-Q pilot will transition to permanent service
PDL is pleased to provide further information to pharmacists practising in Queensland about the UTIPP-Q pilot program and recent announcements. The following advice is directed to all Qld pharmacists and pharmacies, and provided by the consortium overseeing the UTIPP-Q pilot program. The Queensland Minister for Health and Ambulance Services made an announcement late last Thursday […]
PDL appoints new Director for NSW and the ACT
Following the retirement of Curtis Ruhnau, PDL is pleased to announce the appointment of Amanda Galbraith as the new Director for NSW and the ACT. Amanda is a high-level executive with experience as a community pharmacist and community pharmacy owner, board director and credentialled diabetes educator. She brings considerable leadership, stakeholder engagement, and finance and […]
Lapsed PI and Notice of Relevant Events
Lapsed Professional Indemnity insurance arrangements – Section 130(3)(a)(iii), National Law In busy working life, the renewal of professional indemnity insurance can easily be missed. Common occasions when we have seen pharmacists miss the renewal of their professional indemnity insurance include: Upon return from an approved leave of absence (such as a sabbatical or extended leave) […]
UTIPP-Q pilot extended
Pharmacists practising in Queensland are advised the UTIPP-Q pilot program has been extended. The following message to participating pharmacists from the Consortium managing the pilot outlines the extension. Dear UTIPP-Q pharmacist, Thank-you for your participation in the pilot so far. The implementation in Queensland has been a great success so far with over 9,000 women […]
