Rub shoulders with Kerri Barwick MPS (centre) and other members of team PSA at CPC24[/caption]
The use of insulin, considered a high-risk medication with APINCHs classification,5 Ms Barwick notes, provides justification for a Home Medicines Review (HMR). ‘There’s an advantage to going into the home to observe the patient’s diet, consider potential interactions, and educate patients on the best effects and outcomes,’ she says.
Advice around cleaning blood glucose level (BGL) monitors to ensure accuracy can also be provided. ‘Pharmacists can explain how to put test drops through and clean blood spills on the monitor, common in pregnancy due to higher blood volume,’ says Ms Barwick.
With only 50% of women diagnosed with GDM receiving tests for heart disease and type 2 diabetes post-pregnancy,6 HMRs can be beneficial at this stage of the journey, too.
‘Along with conversations around diet choices, exercise regimes and sleep, I also explain how often testing is required over the next 5–10 years, and how to monitor for signs of the development of diabetes,’ Ms Barwick advises.
Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy
The presence of iron in pregnancy multivitamins may exacerbate symptoms of nausea and vomiting in some pregnancies, according to Ms Barwick.
‘Pharmacists can recommend a trial cessation of the iron component of pregnancy vitamins, often unnecessary in pregnancy,’ she says.
In 2020, photographer Bobbi Lockyer created a Birthing on Country project to highlight and create awareness around birthing issues and outcomes in Aboriginal women. For more, see 
Suzanne Nielsen MPS[/caption]
The Department of Health and Aged Care announce new credentialing requirements announced as pharmacists prepare to take on aged care roles.
Pharmacists encounter pregnant and new mums more often than most health professionals, and can have a bird’s-eye view when things go awry.
Nitazenes are becoming more common in the Australian illicit drug market, and are linked to an increasing number of overdoses and deaths.
Queenslanders are set to have greater access to high-quality, primary healthcare services from today (24 April 2024) under the state government’s Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot.
Under the Pilot, trained pharmacists will be able to prescribe for a range...
We’ve passed the halfway mark in the CPD year. Top up your credits and develop pharmacy skills by completing these CPD activities.
While reported cases of influenza are significantly higher than what they were this time last year, vaccination rates are slipping.
An expert weighs in on the legitimacy of ADHD diagnoses and where pharmacists fit into the equation.
Oxycodone is the most prescribed strong opioid in Australia. Yet little was known about its use and prescribing patterns – until now.
Despite being declared ‘measles free’ since 2014, more than 28 cases of measles have been recorded in Australia this year.
No longer the profession which ‘didn't touch people’, pharmacists are now one of Australia's leading vaccinators.
