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    Australian Medicines Handbook Pty LTD

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    Dia Sb
    The document provides feedback from 15 pharmacists employed by Australian Medicines Handbook Pty Ltd in response to a request from the Pharmacy Board of Australia regarding proposed revisions to Guideline 1 on references pharmacists should access. The pharmacists generally agree with removing one statement and adding another paragraph. However, they express discontent with the proposal to remove Martindale: The Complete Drug Reference from the list and require access to Therapeutic Guidelines instead, arguing Martindale is still the preeminent resource and nothing on the proposed list is equivalent. They provide a suggested revised approach to Guideline 1 with comments.

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    Australian Medicines Handbook Pty LTD

    Uploaded by

    Dia Sb
    9K views5 pages
    The document provides feedback from 15 pharmacists employed by Australian Medicines Handbook Pty Ltd in response to a request from the Pharmacy Board of Australia regarding proposed revisions to Guideline 1 on references pharmacists should access. The pharmacists generally agree with removing one statement and adding another paragraph. However, they express discontent with the proposal to remove Martindale: The Complete Drug Reference from the list and require access to Therapeutic Guidelines instead, arguing Martindale is still the preeminent resource and nothing on the proposed list is equivalent. They provide a suggested revised approach to Guideline 1 with comments.

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    Australian medicine handbook

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    Australian Medicines Handbook Pty Ltd

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    The document provides feedback from 15 pharmacists employed by Australian Medicines Handbook Pty Ltd in response to a request from the Pharmacy Board of Australia regarding proposed revisions to Guideline 1 on references pharmacists should access. The pharmacists generally agree with removing one statement and adding another paragraph. However, they express discontent with the proposal to remove Martindale: The Complete Drug Reference from the list and require access to Therapeutic Guidelines instead, arguing Martindale is still the preeminent resource and nothing on the proposed list is equivalent. They provide a suggested revised approach to Guideline 1 with comments.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    9K views5 pages

    Australian Medicines Handbook Pty LTD

    Uploaded by

    Dia Sb
    The document provides feedback from 15 pharmacists employed by Australian Medicines Handbook Pty Ltd in response to a request from the Pharmacy Board of Australia regarding proposed revisions to Guideline 1 on references pharmacists should access. The pharmacists generally agree with removing one statement and adding another paragraph. However, they express discontent with the proposal to remove Martindale: The Complete Drug Reference from the list and require access to Therapeutic Guidelines instead, arguing Martindale is still the preeminent resource and nothing on the proposed list is equivalent. They provide a suggested revised approach to Guideline 1 with comments.

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    You are on page 1of 5

    Executive Officer

    Pharmacy Board of Australia


    GPO Box 9958 Melbourne
    Victoria 3001

    26 May 2011

    Re: Feedback on review of PBA Guideline 1 References

    Please find attached a response from the 15 pharmacists currently employed by Australian
    Medicines Handbook Pty Ltd (AMH).

    Our average time in practice is 25 years (range 9-50 years). Most of the group have been drug
    information pharmacists for significant periods, and most have worked in hospital and/or
    community pharmacy in addition to a wide variety of other roles.

    Whilst we appreciate the amount of work that the recent changes in registration will have
    generated, we feel that more consideration of this Guideline is required in order that it reflect
    contemporary practice and the range of resources of suitable quality that best support
    pharmacists in their work.

    To this end we have addressed the specific items that PBA has asked for feedback on, and as
    a result of our comments, also provided some further suggestions on the arrangement and
    content of the references in this guideline. We acknowledge these are more than was
    requested, but hope you are able to consider them.

    We would be pleased to discuss our suggestions with you, should you wish to do so.

    Yours Sincerely

    Simone Rossi

    Managing Editor, on behalf of AMH editorial staff

    Australian Medicines 1st Floor PO Box 240 Telephone: (08) 8303 6977
    Handbook Pty Ltd 231 North Terrace Rundle Mall PO Facsimile: (08) 8303 6980
    ABN 83 070 003 977 Adelaide SA 5000 Adelaide SA 5000 email: [email protected]
    Website: www.amh.net.au
    Feedback from pharmacists employed at Australian Medicines Handbook Pty Ltd

    The Board is seeking feedback on the following proposals:

    1. to remove the statement “For pharmacists undertaking medication reviews”,


    Agreed
    2. the addition of the paragraph “In addition to accessing the references listed in these Guidelines
    during the dispensing, clinical assessment, reviewing and counselling processes, pharmacists should
    use additional references relevant to their area of practice. Consideration should also be given to
    accessing reference material which provides information in the Australian context. Pharmacists may
    also need to use more than one reference to ensure that all current and relevant information is
    accessed.”
    Agreed
    and
    3. to amend the list of references published on the Board’s website including the removal of
    Martindale: The Complete Drug Reference from the list of references and to require pharmacists to
    have access to Therapeutic Guidelines Series (hardcopy), eTG or equivalent.

    Martindale and the Therapeutic Guidelines series cannot be considered equivalent resources.
    In our view Martindale is still the pre-eminent pharmacy publication and nothing on the list
    proposed can be considered equivalent. It provides a comprehensive coverage of clinical
    pharmacology and drug information not available from any of the other listed resources.
    We wish to record our discontent that a pharmacy body has made such a proposal.
    However, if the final decision is to make Martindale a non-compulsory reference, consideration
    should be given to creating a ‘Desirable but optional’ resources list which would direct users
    to a variety of useful resources. Martindale should be included in this list.

    Please see our suggested approach with comments at Attachment 1


    Attachment 1

    Guidelines on practice-specific issues - Guideline 1 (List of


    References): Proposed revision by AMH pharmacists
    Guideline 1
    References to be accessed by pharmacists
    A source of current Australian PI and CMI
    Free
    • TGA electronic business service
    https://www.ebs.tga.gov.au/

    By Subscription
    • MIMS Annual with MIMS Abbreviated; or
    • e-MIMS; or
    • AusDI Advanced.

    B Australian practice manuals/tertiary references

    Australian Immunisation Handbook


    http://www.health.gov.au/internet/immunise/publishing.nsf/Content/Handbook-home
    Australian Medicines Handbook
    Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary and Handbook (APF)
    Therapeutic Guidelines Series (hardcopy), eTG Complete or equivalent (see suggestions below*)

    C Drug Interactions reference Comment [SR1]: Frequency of


    • eMIMS Drug Alert Interactions; or updating removed as incongruous to have
    • Stockley’s Drug Interactions online; or here only. Much more important that PI
    and CMI are up to date, but nothing said
    • Drug Interaction Analysis and Management Hansten and Horn (looseleaf format)
    there. We note that Micromedex is very
    • AusDI Advanced; or costly (>$5000 per annum). Have given
    • Drug Interaction Facts – Facts and Comparisons; or some consideration to cost and quality in
    • Lexi-Interact Online; or the order of this list, which we think is too
    • Micromedex long

    D A source of paediatric dosing information, preferably relevant to the Australian setting Comment [SR2]: At present, there is
    •see suggestions below# no Australian paediatric pharmacopoeia
    published by an Australian teaching
    hospital that is current (RCH last published
    E an evidence-based reference work on complementary and alternate medicines
    2002). This entry should be reworded; we
    • Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database have made a suggestion.
    • Natural Standard Herb and Supplement Guide: an evidence based review (Mosby) or
    • Herbs and Natural Supplements: An evidence based guide. Braun and Cohen; or Comment [SR3]: e-MIMS PI for CMs
    cannot be considered evidence based, so
    • Herbal Medicines. Barnes, Anderson and Phillipson; (does not cover non-herbal items) or deleted. There are better quality resources
    • AusDI Advanced available than some of those listed. We
    have amended to include resources highly
    F Legal, professional practice and regulatory resources rated in the NPS review of CM resources.

    The following can be accessed electronically without cost:


    • Pharmacy Board of Australia Guidelines
    • Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act (the National Law) as in force in each state and
    territory
    • Pharmacy, Drugs/Medicines and Poisons legislation for each jurisdiction
    • Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (SUSMP)
    • TGA Medicines Safety Updates and Recalls and Alerts
    Note: In addition to accessing the references listed in these Guidelines, during the dispensing, clinical
    assessment, reviewing and counselling processes, pharmacists should use additional references relevant to
    their area of practice. Consideration should also be given to accessing reference material which provides
    information in the Australian context. Pharmacists may also need to use more than one reference to ensure
    that all current and relevant information is accessed

    Desirable but optional references

    Martindale: the extrapharmacopoeia (International)


    AHFS Drug Information (US)

    Free, Australian

    NPS Radar
    NPS News
    NPS PPR
    Australian Prescriber

    Free, international Comment [SR4]: We have tried to give


    some advice about appropriate high quality
    Drugs in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding free references. Merck Manual stands out
    as a resource funded by the
    pharmaceutical industry and one where
    LactMed much of the information can now easily be
    http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?LACT gleaned by judicious use of other internet
    resources. We’d suggest it could be
    Motherisk removed and replaced with other sources.
    http://www.motherisk.org/women/index.jsp

    OTIS
    http://www.otispregnancy.org

    Drug interactions

    Flockhart
    http://medicine.iupui.edu/clinpharm/ddis/

    Clinical practice search engine

    TRIP database
    www.tripdatabase.com

    Evidence based General Practice including therapeutics

    Bandolier (UK)
    http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/

    General Medical text

    Merck Manual
    http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/index.html
    *Therapeutics resources (may serve as equivalent to some parts of the Therapeutic Guidelines
    series)

    Free, Australian
    Relevant good quality Australian Clinical Practice Guidelines e.g.;
    http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/guidelines/titles_guidelines.htm

    http://www.racgp.org.au/guidelines

    http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/INFORMATION-FOR-PROFESSIONALS/CLINICAL-
    INFORMATION/Pages/default.aspx

    Subscription

    Examples include:

    CKS (UK)
    http://www.cks.nhs.uk/home
    Up to Date (US)
    http://www.uptodate.com/index
    BMJ Clinical Evidence (International)
    http://clinicalevidence.bmj.com/ceweb/index.jsp

    #Paediatric resources

    BNFc (UK)
    Pediatric Dosage Handbook Taketomo, C et al (US)
    Paediatrics Manual, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Handbook
    (contains a drug doses section)

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