FAQ health

The final report of the Preventative Health Taskforce highlights a number of areas where a greater utilisation of pharmacists’ services will help improve the health of all Australians.

Commenting on the release of the report today, the Acting President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Grant Kardachi, said a number of the preventive health measures recommended in the taskforce’s report were already being undertaken by pharmacists.

“The taskforce strategy sets a number of ambitious targets including halving and reversing the rise in the number of overweight and obese people and reducing the prevalence of daily smoking to 10 per cent or less,” Mr Kardachi said. “These are targets that can be met if the strategy makes use of the programs targeting these areas that are already in place in community pharmacies.

“Pharmacies have established and very successful programs to help reduce weight and the pharmacy smoking cessation program is one of the best there is.” Mr Kardachi said another aim of the taskforce was to reduce the proportion of Australians who drink at short-term risky/high-risk levels to 14per cent, and the proportion of those who drink at long-term risky/high-risk levels to 7per cent. “Once again pharmacists are the ideal and most appropriate health professionals to run these programs,” Mr Kardachi said. Read the rest of this entry »

The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, announced an investment by the Government of Canada of $135 million for new construction and the renovation of health services infrastructure in First Nations communities across Canada.

“Improving the health and well-being of Aboriginal people is of utmost importance to our Government,” said Minister Aglukkaq. “This critical investment means new and refurbished health centres and nurses’ residences for many of the remote and isolated First Nations communities served by Health Canada, and will provide immediate economic benefit by creating employment opportunities in those areas.”

This funding, a major stimulus under the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, supports more than 40 projects involving new construction of health services infrastructure, and approximately 230 renovations of existing infrastructure.

Canada’s Economic Action Plan also commits an additional $305 million over two years to strengthen current First Nations and Inuit health programs and improve health outcomes. The $305 million includes: Read the rest of this entry »

Comments by the Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, committing to e-health reforms and electronic patient records have been welcomed by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.

Addressing the ‘Health e Nation Conference’ in Canberra during the week, Ms Roxon said she wanted Australia’s future health system to be connected, secure and efficient. “It is frustrating that in a sector where technology and research drive continual innovation in patient care, paper is still king. After a decade of doing our banking – and almost everything else – online, we’re still carrying our x-rays under our arm, a script to the pharmacy, and the hospital can’t send a discharge summary to the family GP,” Ms Roxon said.

The President of the PSA, Warwick Plunkett, said pharmacists endorsed Ms Roxon’s comments and called on the Government to fast-track the implementation of e-health. “The National E-Health Strategy has pointed to a 10-year implementation phase for the introduction of e-health in Australia which the PSA believes is just far too long and has the potential to endanger patient care,” Mr Plunkett said. Read the rest of this entry »

Older adults who have stronger social support networks are more likely to report better overall health compared to their counterparts lacking adequate social interactions and emotional support.

A new study examines the difference that social support may have on how U.S. community-dwelling elders self-report their health status. The study sample included 3,476 adults aged 60 years and older, which was collected from the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Researchers found that older persons who reported that they needed more support also reported having poorer health; whereas older persons, who were satisfied with the support available to them, reported better health.

The study’s authors conclude, “With an estimated 7.6 million older adults feeling the need for more emotional support in America, awareness of the ongoing potential scope of the problem helps evaluate whether providers of health and social services to older persons are adequately prepared to address these health needs.”

From: “Social Support and Self-Reported Health Status of Older Adults in the United States.”

Source
American Journal of Public Health

The study’s authors conclude, “With an estimated 7.6 million older adults feeling the need for more emotional support in America, awareness of the ongoing potential scope of the problem helps evaluate whether providers of health and social services to older persons are adequately prepared to address these health needs.”

From: “Social Support and Self-Reported Health Status of Older Adults in the United States.”

Source
American Journal of Public Health

“The American Cancer Society is in the midst of our largest annual fundraising event, Relay For Life, which takes place in more than 5,000 local communities in the U.S. and 20 other countries. We are closely monitoring the swine flu situation to determine if we need to make any alterations in our event plans. We are following the lead of state and local health authorities and other agencies to guide our course of action regarding our Relay events. These local public health experts consult with the U.S. Public Health Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and offer the most up-to-date information and guidance. In addition, we are in constant communication and dialogue with our local community volunteers to discuss their individual upcoming local events.

“We encourage people to approach this public health threat with concern and caution, not panic. It is important to understand that infections of any kind are a special concern for individuals during cancer treatment. That’s because certain treatments, like chemotherapy, can weaken the immune system and make it harder for the body to fight off germs. Relay For Life is attended by cancer survivors currently in treatment and as such, we are making decisions based on what is best for the health of our communities.

“At this time, we have decided to postpone a small number of selected local Relay events based on confirmed cases of swine flu and guidance from the local public health authorities to delay the event until a later, more suitable time: Read the rest of this entry »

GlaxoSmithKline and Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp announced positive Phase II clinical data for elesclomol (formerly STA-4783), an investigational agent currently in development for metastatic melanoma. A retrospective analysis showed that stage IV metastatic melanoma patients treated with elesclomol and paclitaxel who had not previously received chemotherapy had a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) compared to patients who received paclitaxel alone.1 These data will be presented at the 44th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago. Elesclomol is not yet approved for any indication in any market.

“The incidence of melanoma has continued to rise in recent years and there is an undeniable need to identify effective treatments for patients with metastatic disease,” said Paolo Paoletti, M.D., Senior Vice President of the Oncology Medicine Development Center at GSK. “GSK is at the forefront of research to improve the lives of cancer patients, including those with limited treatment options, and we are dedicated to conducting ongoing trials in metastatic melanoma.” Read the rest of this entry »