A vaccination update
Each year pharmacies routinely see an increase in demand for vaccination services as winter approaches. The recent surge in demand for pharmacist-administered vaccines has also seen a rise in the number of vaccine-related calls and incidents reported to PDL. Commonly reported vaccination errors Administration of incorrect vaccine, e.g. high demand for influenza vaccines leading to […]
ScriptCheckWA registration and support materials now available
ScriptCheckWA is Western Australia’s Real Time Prescription Monitoring (RTPM) system, which is now available to all pharmacists practising in WA. As the recognised risk management experts for pharmacists, PDL is focused on supporting members to understand the new regulatory requirements and assist them as they adjust workflows to implement the new requirements. What is ScriptCheckWA? ScriptCheckWA […]
NSW Urinary Tract Infection trial
As NSW pharmacists may be aware, NSW Health has announced the NSW Government-sponsored clinical trial for the management of urinary tract infections (UTIs) by community pharmacists. The trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of pharmacists prescribing antibiotics to treat uncomplicated UTIs in eligible women aged 18 to 65 years (inclusive). The University of Newcastle is […]
Resources for guidance on immunisation
The Pharmacy Stakeholder Forum is a joint initiative between the Pharmacy Council of NSW, the NSW Ministry of Health and other pharmacy organisations representing most NSW pharmacists. You may have seen the Forum communique sent to PDL members in October 2022. As mentioned in the communique, the purpose of the Forum is to: • monitor […]
NSW biannual S8 stock check reminder
PDL would like to remind NSW-based pharmacists and pharmacy owners of the requirement to complete an S8 stock check during March. While most pharmacists are compliant with this regulatory obligation, PDL is aware from incident reports that this requirement is overlooked on occasion leading to potential regulatory action. PDL appreciates the reasons this oversight may […]
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. […]