Case scenario
Mrs Johnson, 72, visits your pharmacy seeking over-the-counter relief for her lower back pain. She shares that her GP has advised her to avoid certain analgesics due to her reduced kidney function, though she could not recall the specifics. You review her My Health Record, and assess her medical history. Mrs Johnson weighs 56 kg and has a blood pressure reading of 137/90 mmHg from your measurement in the pharmacy. Her recent My Health Record shows an eGFR of 52 mL/min/1.73 m2 and serum creatinine of 95 micromoL/L. Her current medications include apixaban (5 mg twice daily), fenofibrate (145 mg daily), sotalol (80 mg twice daily), metformin (1 g twice daily), rosuvastatin (5 mg daily), valproate (200 mg twice daily), thiamine (100 mg daily), candesartan (8 mg daily) and insulin glargine (18 units at bedtime).
Learning objectivesAfter reading this article, pharmacists should be able to:
Competency (2016) Standards addressed: 1.1, 1.4, 1.5, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.5 Accreditation number: CAP2405CDMRC Accreditation expiry: 30/04/2027 |
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Team PSA 2026: Caroline Diamantis FPS, Prof Mark Naunton MPS and Bridget Totterman MPS[/caption]
A/Prof Fei Sim and Prof Mark Naunton[/caption]

Clinical features
Warm compresses are the cornerstone of treatment, helping to soften the lesion, bring pus to the surface and encourage spontaneous drainage. A clean face cloth soaked in warm (not hot) water should be applied to the closed eyelid for 2–5 minutes, twice daily during the active phase. Once the stye begins to drain, any discharge should be gently wiped away using a clean, warm washcloth. After resolution, continuing warm compresses once daily may help prevent recurrence.2 





