RTPM and your responsibilities
PDL Professional Officers have observed an increase in formal requests for information regarding dispensed medicines from the Real Time Prescription Monitoring (RTPM) sections of health departments. In most cases, the request for information is regarding the following issues: Large quantities of monitored medicine dispensed to a single patient over a short period Doses and quantities […]
Reflecting on ConPharm 2022
PDL representatives Gilbert Yeates (Qld Director) and Gary West (Professional Officer and Qld Local Advisory Committee Chair) were pleased to attend ConPharm 2022 at Sea World Resort and speak with many accredited pharmacists. As expected, these highly engaged pharmacists had many questions for the PDL representatives, and we believe it’s helpful to share some of […]
Vaccination reminder
The recent surge in demand for influenza vaccines has also seen a rise in the number of vaccine-related calls and incident reports to PDL. This increase may be associated with some pharmacists experiencing vaccination fatigue or making assumptions that past high numbers of this service mean that process review is unnecessary. Such conditions may increase […]
Vaccinating for winter
As winter approaches, pharmacies will be very busy providing vaccinations against influenza (flu) as well as administering COVID-19 fourth doses (winter doses) or boosters. As many brands of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines will be available, pharmacists should take extra care to ensure that the requested vaccine is provided. This can be achieved by consulting the […]
PDL Director for New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory
Due to the impending retirement of Curtis Ruhnau, expressions of interest are invited by PDL for the position of Director for New South Wales (with responsibility also for the Australian Capital Territory). A casual vacancy will exist from 1st July 2022 until the PDL Annual General Meeting in 2025. Qualifications for this position include: Registered […]
Responsibilities of students and interns
All students and interns are registered with AHPRA, and therefore have the responsibility to comply with the guidelines and protocols associated with registration. As pharmacists are held to higher standards of behaviour and actions than the general public, poor personal choices made by students and interns could have an impact on their careers. There is […]
QScript and other regulatory insights
PDL has previously informed members likely to be working in Queensland of the mandatory requirements of the QScript real-time prescription monitoring system. The practice alerts sent to PDL members in July and November 2021 explained the system, the intention regarding harm reduction and mandatory requirements for any prescriber or dispenser of a monitored medicine. Since […]
Clonidine compounding errors
PDL is aware of multiple instances where a pharmacist has not realised a prescription needs to be compounded. This may be due to misinterpretation of the prescriber’s intentions or assumption that the strength prescribed is an error and a proprietary product is supplied instead of the item ordered. Vigilance is always required when dispensing all […]
The what, how and why of PI insurance
Professional Indemnity insurance (PI insurance or PII) may seem like an uninteresting topic, however, the relevance becomes very clear if there is action taken against you by a regulatory agency or if there is a claim for compensation following an incident. PII is designed to cover you for what you do in your professional life. […]
Moderna Spikevax vaccine approved for children 6-11 years
The ATAGI approval of Moderna Spikevax for the primary vaccination of children 6-11 years provides more options for families and pharmacists. Read the ATAGI statement. Key points include: There is NO paediatric formulation. It is the same Moderna Spikevax formulation used for patients 12 years and older. The dose is 50µg (0.25ml) for children 6-11 […]
