Delaying or declining supply of medication
The PDL Professional Officers often manage calls, incident reports and occasional regulatory complaints following a pharmacist’s decision to decline supply of a medication. Recently, the Professional Officers have also taken calls from pharmacists seeking advice on declining supply when they believe the prescribing of a 60-day supply (60 Day Dispensing or 60DD) does not align […]
A reminder for hospital pharmacists about reporting incidents
PDL is raising awareness with hospital pharmacists about the need to report incidents to PDL. This call has been prompted by a recent review of PDL’s incident reporting data which indicates that hospital-based PDL members are disproportionately less likely to report an incident in comparison to community-based colleagues. PDL suggests there may be several reasons […]
Victorian Community Pharmacist Statewide Pilot announcement
Victorian pharmacists may be aware of the Community Pharmacist Statewide Pilot scheduled to go live towards the end of October. PDL continues to support the profession and members in the provision of professional services. PDL representatives have provided input to the Department of Health regarding risk management for this service. For those pharmacists considering joining […]
NSW/ACT Pharmacy Trial – extended supply of oral contraceptive pills by community pharmacists
The NSW Government-sponsored Pharmacy Trial for the extended supply of oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) by community pharmacists commenced on 27 September 2023. The trial aims to evaluate the implementation and impact of the provision of OCPs to applicable patients by approved pharmacists. The evaluation will consider patient safety, accessibility, patient acceptability and cost-effectiveness. The University […]
Incident reporting 101
Pharmacists are at the forefront of patient care, ensuring the safe and effective use of medications. Despite pharmacists best efforts, incidents can result in complaints, even if there is minimal impact on the patient and immediate resolution has occurred. This Practice Alert explores the importance of incident reporting, and how pharmacists can use their reflections […]
Administration of buprenorphine depot injection by WA pharmacists
On 13 September 2023, the WA Government released a new Structured Administration and Supply Arrangement (SASA) that authorises a registered pharmacist trained in the Community Program for Opioid Pharmacotherapy (CPOP) to administer depot buprenorphine when requested by the patient and prescriber. Checklist before providing this service Confirm insurance cover PDL continues to support the profession and […]
Notice of 111th Annual General Meeting
Notice is hereby given that the 111th Annual General Meeting of Pharmaceutical Defence Limited will be a hybrid meeting, both in person at Suite 3, Level 34 North Tower, 80 Collins Street, Melbourne 3000 and online via Microsoft Teams, on Thursday, the 19th of October 2023 at 11:00am AEDT when the attendance of members is […]
Beware of fake drug representatives
The PDL Professional Officers have been made aware of a situation where a person approaches dispensary staff and introduces themselves as a representative from a well-known drug company. PDL is advised that the person provides a company business card to support their alleged position. PDL would like to stress that this person is not an […]
Checking SafeScript when supplying pregabalin, gabapentin and tramadol
The PDL Professional Officers confirm that Victorian pharmacists have been receiving notifications regarding lapses in compliance with SafeScript. PDL strongly recommends that pharmacists take the time to familiarise themselves with their legal obligations. PDL wishes to underscore the importance of considerations from a professional and clinical perspective in every situation and placing patient well-being at […]
Are you ok?
The annual R U OK?Day is a reminder that a conversation can change a life. So, PDL would like to take a moment to check in on you, our members and colleagues. We would like to highlight that while our industry is facing many difficulties associated with remuneration, workload pressures, fatigue and patient expectations, it […]
