Mitigating risks of the Opioid Therapy Program
Pharmacists have admirably navigated the changes to the provision of the Opioid Therapy Program (OTP) in 2023, overcoming numerous challenges whilst maintaining uninterrupted service to their patients. With pharmacists now becoming accustomed to these changes, the PDL Professional Officers wanted to take the opportunity to highlight some common incidents involving the OTP that have been […]
Administering medicines by injection
In recent years, the pharmacy profession has seen significant expansion in the range of medicines that pharmacists can administer by injection. The scope has broadened to encompass different age groups and medicines, via different routes of injection. PDL guide to support pharmacists in the preparation and delivery of medicines by injection PDL has released a […]
Another variant vaccine, another potential risk
With the availability of the latest Pfizer (COMIRNATY®) Omicron XBB.1.5 vaccine, indicated for 12 years and over, there may be potential for selection or administration error. This is due to the packaging of the vial appearing very similar to the previous Pfizer (COMIRNATY) Bivalent BA.4-5 and BA.1 vials for similar age groups (12 years and […]
Medicinal cannabis
The prescribing and supply of medicinal cannabis is a rapidly expanding area of practice in Australia. With this emerging field comes the need for comprehensive risk management considerations and strategies to ensure patient safety and regulatory compliance. The following explores some essential risk management considerations for pharmacists who are involved in this area of practice. […]
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 […]
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 […]
The art of saying sorry
Meridian Lawyers issue state and territory-specific guides It’s OK to say sorry. Pharmacists are human beings and fallible, so despite their best efforts, adverse events and mistakes can still occur. A key component of managing an incident is offering a sincere apology when an incident occurs. When dealing with an incident or complaint, no matter […]
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. […]
New and improved incident reporting
PDL currently supports around 30,000 members across Australia. Hundreds of incident reports are received each year and members have access to numerous resources to assist with error management and safe pharmacy practice. PDL acknowledges that pharmacy practice is evolving and have updated our online Incident Reporting System to reflect the broadening scope of practice that […]
