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]
How pharmacists got through 2020
In one of the most challenging years on record, pharmacists have gone to great lengths to fill healthcare gaps and adapt quickly to change. Here, eight pharmacists reflect on some of their standout experiences.
Pharmacist all-rounder
PSA’s 2022 Victorian Pharmacy Medal winner Paul Gysslink wanted something different, while loving being a pharmacist.
The operational pharmacist
Daniel Gilbertson is a pharmacist with a mind for business. Now the head of healthcare operating models at Medibank, he previously worked as a...
Medication management in older Australians
A national pharmacy-led working group dedicated to improving the quality use of medicines for older Australians has issued 10 recommendations for better integrating healthcare...
Double-checking does not always reduce medication errors
Mandatory double-checking as it is currently performed does not reduce the incidence or severity of medication administration errors compared with single-checking, an Australian study has found.
Pharmacists must urge patients to get vaccinated against COVID-19
Winter might be over but that doesn’t mean the COVID-19 pandemic is, warns the Immunisation Coalition in a new vaccination campaign.
