Tuesday 31 July 2012

Pharmacy Daily Tuesday 31st July 2012 T 1300 799 220 W www.pharmacydaily.com.au page 1

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A TOTAL prohibition on theprovision of brand name remindersto healthcare professionals includingpharmacists and doctors removesan important element of competitionin the generic medicines market,according to the GenericMedicines Industry Association. The comments come as part ofGMiA’s submission to the AustralianCompetition & Consumer Commission(ACCC) regarding updates toMedicines Australia’s Code ofConduct currently being considered. Changes to the MA Codeproposed in its 17th edition,include a total ban on the provisionof brand name reminders tohealthcare professionals. This ban, according to GMiAdisadvantages the generics medicinessector because the “expensivemethods” of promotion utilised byMedicines Australia members are“often not affordable in respect ofgeneric medicines as they cannotbe covered within the narrowercost margins for these medicines”. “Prescription medicines cannotbe advertised or solddirectly to the public so there islittle ability for a supplier of ageneric medicine to differentiate itsproduct,” GMiA said. “The key competitive mechanismavailable to a supplier todifferentiate a generic medicineis to offer discounts to pharmacists. “Brand name reminders are notused to induce prescribing, rather,they are regularly used by GMiAmembers to remind a pharmacistthat there are substitutable (andoften lower cost) generic medicines

available,” GMiA added. Taking this option away, accordingto GMiA will reduce competition. “The choice of which brand ofcompeting bioequivalent medicinesto dispense has little or no impacton the health outcome for apatient and, in fact, a decision todispense an alternative cheaperbrand drives savings of hundredsof millions of dollars for thegovernment, the PharmaceuticalBenefits Scheme and the public,”GMiA said. “This is in stark contrast to thefocus of MA members; promotionalactivities in respect of medicineswhere only one brand of themedicine is available. “The promotional activities of MAmembers are targeted at influencingthe choice of medicine prescribedby a doctor and this has a directimpact on the health outcome ofthe patient. “Promotional activity by membersof MA may also have the potentialto result in the over use ofmedicines by doctors that cancause a blow out of PBS costs,”GMiA added.

Zinnat reimbursement ZINNAT Suspension (available ascefuroxime axetil granules for oralsuspension, 125 mg/5ml, 70ml) willbe listed on the PharmaceuticalBenefits Scheme as an unrestrictedGeneral Benefit Item from 01August 2012. The listing follows arecommendation by thePBAC that Zinnat Suspension beplaced on the PBS on the basis of aclinical need in the paediatricpopulation and acceptable costeffectiveness. Zinnat Suspension is indicated forthe treatment of mild tomoderately severe tonsillitis,pharyngitis and acute bacterialotitis media in paediatric patients 3months to 12 years.

Tudorza approval THE US FDA has approvedTudorza Pressair (aclidinium bromide)for the long-term maintenancetreatment of bronchospasm(narrowing of the airways in thelung) associated with chronicobstructive pulmonary disease,including chronic bronchitis andemphysema.

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Tuesday 31 July 2012

Weekly CommentWeekly Comment

Guild Update

EDITORS Bruce Piper and Amanda Collins EMAIL info@pharmacydaily.com.au ADVERTISING Magda Herdzik EMAIL advertising@pharmacydaily.com.au page 2

Student BusinessPlan semi-finalists The finalists for the NationalStudent Business PlanCompetition (NSBPC) havebeen announced. NSBPC is an Australia-widechallenge promoting creativeentrepreneurship amongstudents preparing for acareer in communitypharmacy. Six teams, from fourUniversities - SydneyUniversity, University ofSouth Australia, University ofQueensland and QueenslandUniversity of Technology –have been awarded places inthe semi-finals of thecompetition. The teams progress to thesemi-finals based on theirbusiness plans and theirscores in the quarter finalround, which consisted of anonline quiz and essayquestions. The semi-final round closeson 24th August 2012, with thetop three teams progressingto the finals at the PharmacyBusiness Network, Canberra13 – 16 September 2012. The competition was opento all pharmacy schools inAustralia, with a total ofeighteen entries received thisyear. The competition is aninitiative of the PharmacyGuild of Australia and issponsored by Blackmores(principal sponsor), GoldCross Products and Servicesand Pharmaceutical DefenceLimited (PDL).

THE nose knows. Eli Lilly has signed on to supportresearch into hypoglycemia alertdogs (pups trained to detecthypoglycemia), in a bid tounderstand how they are able todetect hypoglycemic events. Compared to humans, who haveapproximately five millionolfactory cells, dogs possess up to220 million meaning that a dog'snose may actually be 1,000 timesmore sensitive than a human’s. Lilly’s latest study is designed toexamine the reproducibility ofhypoglycemia recognition with anewly trained group ofhypoglycemia alert dogs. The goal of the study is to showreproducibility of the dogs' abilityto recognise hypoglycemia frommultiple samples in a laboratorysetting. “We understand some of thebiochemical changes which occurwith hypoglycemia, but we do notyet have a full picture of thetiming of these changes, nor dowe understand what exactly thedog is sensing,” said a Lillyspokesperson. "The scent seems to be veryspecific, in fact, dogs are trainedto their owner's individual scent. “So if we can identify what thedogs smell, it may be possible toexpose them to larger quantitiesof that compound for faster, moreefficient training. “But, what's exciting still is howthat may apply to finding apractical treatment solution forpeople with diabetes,” thespokesperson added.

LIQUOR, razors and jerky- bewarewhat you wish for. A joke which started at asupermarket in New York aboutcompiling everything a manwould shop for into one place hasturned into a reality after thestore decided to reserve an ‘aisleof man’. The aisle is packed with liquor,condoms, razors, beef jerky andsteak sauce.

COLLABORATION betweenhealthcare professionals is essentialto future healthcare models inAustralia and NZ, according to aconsensus by delegates at theWorld Health Care NetworksConference held in Cairns this week. Titled ‘Integrating Pharmacy withGeneral Practice’ the sessionincluded a panel of prominent GPsand pharmacists from Australia andNew Zealand and highlighted thecollaborative models of care beingdelivered to consumers by GP andpharmacist teams in both nations.

“One thing that emerged veryclearly is the realisation thatpharmacists and GPs nowunderstand they are not competing,they are complementary and havea shared need to get the best forthe patient,” said Chief ExecutiveOfficer of PSA, Liesel Wett, whofacilitated the session. Moving forward, Wett said thechallenge is for the healthprofessions to get it right whendeveloping and implementing thedrivers for shared care. “The session built upon themesthat had emerged during theconference particularly around theneed for GPs and pharmacists toboth see value from therelationship,” she said. “Communication is a key at thelocal level and understanding oneanother’s roles is critical todeveloping a more collaborativemodel of practice,” she added.

CHC nominations NOMINATIONS are now open forthe Complementary HealthcareCouncil’s (CHC) Annual IndustryAwards. The CHC Industry Awards are anopportunity to recognise andcelebrate outstanding contributionsmade by companies and individualsto the industry over the past twelvemonths, with awards including‘Manufacturer of the Year’ and‘Raw Material Supplier of the Year’. Nominations close on 17 August,see www.chc.org.au/Conference.

Typhoid vaccine AUSTRALIAN immunisationspecialists are urging all healthcareprofessionals to encourage patientsto consider typhoid vaccinationsbefore travelling to developing andendemic countries. The call comes on the back of therecent Coalition against Typhoidcongress which took place inBangkok last month. “Typhoid is an extremely serious,life threatening disease, which isincreasing in a number of placesAustralians are travelling to, inparticular the Indian subcontinentincluding India, Pakistan,Bangladesh and Sri Lanka,” saidNational Medical Advisor for TravelDoctor – TMVC, Dr Tony Gherardin. “Most Australian cases of typhoidinfections are acquired overseas byindividuals eating contaminatedfood or water while visitingdeveloping countries,” he added.

The future is collaboration

RoyYoungChemist&PulsePharmacyChatswood

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