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[post_content] => A practical workflow for cancelling tokens, updating profiles and preventing repeat-token errors at every dispense.
Electronic prescriptions are safe, secure and generally convenient for patients and
health practitioners.1
This convenience largely stems from the rapid transfer of prescriptions and their digital tokens without the need for a physical paper prescription. This transfer is so fast there’s often no lag between a dispensing label being printed and the patient receiving a new repeat token on their phone via SMS. So, what happens if that repeat is sent to the wrong number?
What happens if a pharmacy sends a token to the wrong phone number?
The wrong person will receive the token. While the design of tokens (no name, limited information) limits the likelihood of a privacy breach, it provides the recipient with unauthorised access to the prescription (and therefore unauthorised access to the prescribed medicine).
Will correcting the number and reissuing the token ‘fix everything’?
No. Once a token has been issued, it cannot be retrieved. Simply changing the phone number in the patient profile and reissuing the token will send the token to the patient’s preferred mobile number, but will not cancel the incorrectly issued token, which will still be sitting in the SMS inbox of the person who received it.
Then what should I do?
While a token can’t be retrieved, it can be cancelled. In dispensing software cancelling the dispensing event which caused the token to be generated will cancel the repeat token which was issued because of it.
The patient contact details in their profile in the dispensing software should then be updated, including verifying their electronic prescription preferences. The prescription should then be re-dispensed through the dispensing system.2
Do I need to report this to my indemnity insurer?
Yes, especially if the issue is not identified at the time of dispensing. A note should be added to the patient profile documenting the incident. Documentation may also be required in the pharmacy’s incident log.
How can this be avoided?
Check patient mobile phone numbers at every dispense event prior to authorising dispensing and generating the dispensing label. Multiple different workflows can achieve this, such as checking during forward dispensing – or verifying mobile phone numbers at scripts-in.
As one of the approved identifiers, mobile phone number is a good choice of identifier to use as one of the three identifiers at scripts-in, patient selection and/or scripts-out.3,4
References
- digitalhealth.gov.au. Electronic prescribing: for dispensers. 2025. At: www.digitalhealth.gov.au/ealthcare-providers/initiatives-and-programs/electronic-prescribing/for-dispensers/
- Pharmaceutical Defence Limited. Electronic prescriptions: National Practice Alerts. 22 December 2023. At: www.pdl.org.au/electronicprescriptions-2/
- Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. Professional practice standards 2023 Version 6. 2025. At: www.psa.org.au/practice-support-industry/pps
- Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. Correct identification and procedure matching. 2025. At: www.safetyandquality.gov.au/standards/nsqhs-standards/communicating-safetystandard/correct-identification-and-procedurematching
[post_title] => Managing eScripts sent to the wrong phone
[post_excerpt] => From cancelling the dispensing event to reissuing the prescription, these key steps ensure no token is left active in unauthorised hands.
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[post_content] => The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) has cracked down on medicinal cannabis, with new guidance to tighten up the rules and put practitioners ‘on notice’.
Poor prescribing practices have placed patients at significant harm, with AHPRA stepping in to remind prescribers and dispensers that medicinal cannabis should be treated as any other Controlled Drug (Schedule 8 medicine).
‘We don’t prescribe opioids to every patient who asks for them, and medicinal cannabis is no different,’ said Medical Board of Australia Chair, Dr Susan O’Dwyer. ‘Patient demand is no indicator of clinical need.’
AHPRA has already taken action against 57 medical practitioners, pharmacists and nurses over medicinal cannabis prescribing practices, with AHPRA CEO Justin Untersteiner confirming that the regulator is currently investigating 60 more.
Australian Pharmacist investigates the issue and pharmacists' obligations going forward.
Booming business, bad practice
Demand for medicinal cannabis has grown significantly in recent years. Australians spent approximately $402 million on medicinal cannabis in the first half of 2024, nearly matching the $448 million spent in all of 2023.
This surge in demand has led to a significant upswing in prescribing, with APHRA identifying eight practitioners who issued more than 10,000 scripts over a 6-month, and one who appears to have issued more than 17,000 scripts.
Nearly all medicinal cannabis products are unapproved Schedule 8 medicines, meaning prescribers must use the Special Access Scheme or Authorised Prescriber pathway to prescribe them.
But the development of closed loop arrangements, where medicinal cannabis is prescribed via telehealth appointments, has meant that the required level of scrutiny and investigation by prescribing doctors has perhaps not been conducted, said PSA National Vice President and Pharmacy Council of New South Wales Board Member Caroline Diamantis FPS.
[caption id="attachment_24130" align="alignright" width="267"]
Caroline Diamantis FPS[/caption]
‘Prescribers need to assess if there is a therapeutic need for the prescription and ensure they've developed appropriate management plans.’
AHPRA has said that poor professional standards have been applied, particularly around the volume of medicinal cannabis being prescribed and dispensed.
‘They are looking for stronger safeguards around prescribing, real-time prescription monitoring (RTPM) and S8 controls – prioritising therapeutic need over commercial convenience,’ Ms Diamantis said.
The other concern is around various business models that have been ‘conveniently’ created around the demand for medicinal cannabis.
‘AHPRA’s concern is that the prescriber and dispenser obligations for therapeutic suitability have been overlooked,’ she added.
Part and parcel of this new business model is the delivery service for medicinal cannabis adopted by some pharmacists.
‘The very real concern is there's minimal human contact,’ she said. ‘The patient does not have an opportunity to speak with the dispensing pharmacist about any concerns or questions.’
A real danger for patients
Medicinal cannabis comes in various dosage formulations with various levels of activity including gummies, tinctures or vaporisers.
Patients can sometimes walk away with several different dose forms without prescribers investigating their:
‘It’s illegal in NSW to dispense an S8 unregistered item on a fax or email. YOu either need a token or a real paper script.' CAROLINE DIAMANTIS FPSHowever, pharmacists should also be aware there may be gaps in these records. While all electronic prescriptions and computer-generated paper scripts with an eScript barcode will automatically be recorded in RTPM as unapproved therapeutic goods, human coding errors mean sometimes medicinal cannabis prescription or dispense events are not visible. Other reasons the script may not be visible include:
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[post_content] => Endometriosis, affecting approximately one in seven Australian women, remains under-recognised, under-funded and misunderstood.
Despite the profound impact endometriosis has on health and wellbeing, its diagnosis and management is complex – with an average of 6–8 years between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis.
‘This delay is where pharmacists have a crucial role in recognising the symptoms of endometriosis and referring women promptly for diagnosis and treatment,’ said Grace Wong, Medication Safety Pharmacist at The Royal Women's Hospital – who will be leading a session on Championing change for endometriosis care at PSA25 next month.
Why does endometriosis take so long to diagnose?
There are several interrelated factors at play. Historically, a definitive diagnosis of endometriosis required laparoscopic surgery with histopathological confirmation.
But the limited availability of trained gynaecologists to perform these procedures has created a bottleneck in timely diagnosis.
Additionally, the variable and often non-specific nature of endometriosis symptoms – such as chronic pelvic pain, fatigue, dysmenorrhea, cyclical hematuria, dysuria and gastrointestinal disturbances – can lead to misdiagnosis of other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.
Patients experiencing chronic pelvic or abdominal pain may present repeatedly for symptom relief, with opioids or high-dose non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) often supplied without further investigation into the underlying cause. This pattern not only delays appropriate diagnosis but also increases the risk of adverse effects and medicine overuse.
Societal stigmas surrounding menstruation can lead many to normalise menstrual pain, delaying medical attention.
‘Removing stigma and making women feel confident and comfortable to speak to their pharmacist for advice is something pharmacists and pharmacy support staff can continue to improve,’ Wong said.
When should endometriosis be suspected?
Endometriosis should be considered in anyone of reproductive age presenting with persistent pelvic pain – especially when it’s acyclical, unresponsive to first-line treatments, or associated with other gynaecological symptoms such as dyspareunia (painful intercourse) or dysmenorrhoea.
Atypical symptoms of endometriosis include:
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[post_content] => On 1 July 2025, new vaping standards came into force for all therapeutic vaping products for smoking cessation and nicotine dependence.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration's (TGA’s) strengthened standards, designed to reduce harm from vape use, are the culmination of the national vaping reforms, said PSA Project Manager Nikita Dalla Venezia, who worked closely on the PSA’s Professional practice guidelines for pharmacists: nicotine dependence support.
‘Because the changes were fairly substantial, my understanding is that they were staggered,’ she said. ‘This is just the next step of that comprehensive approach to mitigating risk for people who use therapeutic vapes.’
The principal purpose of the reforms is to minimise youth uptake of vaping – an objective that, according to the Cancer Council’s iterative Generation Vape study, appears to be succeeding.
‘In Wave 7 of the study, which came out after the reforms were introduced, over 50% of youths said they would decline a vape if offered one from a friend, which is a substantial increase from Wave 2 data (less than 40%) that was collected prior to the reforms,’ Ms Dalla Venezia said.
What key changes are introduced in the updated standards?
Changes to the packaging, labelling and design of vaping products have been introduced.
Vaping devices and accessories now need to appear as therapeutic products to reduce their appeal for recreational use among both adolescents and adults, Ms Dalla Venezia said.
‘The packaging needs to be plain, and the design has to be simple with very limited colours,’ she said.
New labelling, usage instructions and information leaflets are also required, along with name restrictions.
‘The permitted ingredients have changed, to now only include nicotine, propylene glycol glycerol, and water,’ she said. ‘And the only flavours allowed are mint, menthol or tobacco.’
Vaping devices and accessories must also meet stricter standards for:
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[post_content] => PSA has announced that it will develop and maintain education standards for Continued Professional Development (CPD) for pharmacists, following the retirement of the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) accreditation standards for CPD activities on 31 December 2025.
The APC’s accreditation standards for CPD activities have been in place since 2013.
PSA, who already publish regular CPD through Australian Pharmacist and its education catalogue, will develop and maintain industry leading standards that will certify the quality and independence of CPD.
CPD education assessed against the standards will carry a PSA approval, giving pharmacists confidence that the education they access maintains the highest quality, upholds pharmacy practice standards, guidelines and ethics, and is free from commercial bias.
PSA National President Associate Professor Fei Sim FPS said: ‘As the national peak body for pharmacists in Australia and custodians of pharmacy practice standards, guidelines and ethics, PSA is developing education standards for CPD that give our profession – and our stakeholders – confidence in the quality of pharmacist education.
‘Our members tell us that PSA’s education is of high quality, a quality they can trust, and this scheme will mean that when they see third party education that is approved as meeting the PSA education standards, they can have a similar level of trust in it,’ she said.
‘PSA’s CPD planning tool takes the stress out of planning and recording CPD education, just as these standards will give pharmacists confidence that the CPD they access is “up-to-scratch”.’
PSA’s CPD standards are set to be introduced in 2026.
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[post_content] => A practical workflow for cancelling tokens, updating profiles and preventing repeat-token errors at every dispense.
Electronic prescriptions are safe, secure and generally convenient for patients and
health practitioners.1
This convenience largely stems from the rapid transfer of prescriptions and their digital tokens without the need for a physical paper prescription. This transfer is so fast there’s often no lag between a dispensing label being printed and the patient receiving a new repeat token on their phone via SMS. So, what happens if that repeat is sent to the wrong number?
What happens if a pharmacy sends a token to the wrong phone number?
The wrong person will receive the token. While the design of tokens (no name, limited information) limits the likelihood of a privacy breach, it provides the recipient with unauthorised access to the prescription (and therefore unauthorised access to the prescribed medicine).
Will correcting the number and reissuing the token ‘fix everything’?
No. Once a token has been issued, it cannot be retrieved. Simply changing the phone number in the patient profile and reissuing the token will send the token to the patient’s preferred mobile number, but will not cancel the incorrectly issued token, which will still be sitting in the SMS inbox of the person who received it.
Then what should I do?
While a token can’t be retrieved, it can be cancelled. In dispensing software cancelling the dispensing event which caused the token to be generated will cancel the repeat token which was issued because of it.
The patient contact details in their profile in the dispensing software should then be updated, including verifying their electronic prescription preferences. The prescription should then be re-dispensed through the dispensing system.2
Do I need to report this to my indemnity insurer?
Yes, especially if the issue is not identified at the time of dispensing. A note should be added to the patient profile documenting the incident. Documentation may also be required in the pharmacy’s incident log.
How can this be avoided?
Check patient mobile phone numbers at every dispense event prior to authorising dispensing and generating the dispensing label. Multiple different workflows can achieve this, such as checking during forward dispensing – or verifying mobile phone numbers at scripts-in.
As one of the approved identifiers, mobile phone number is a good choice of identifier to use as one of the three identifiers at scripts-in, patient selection and/or scripts-out.3,4
References
- digitalhealth.gov.au. Electronic prescribing: for dispensers. 2025. At: www.digitalhealth.gov.au/ealthcare-providers/initiatives-and-programs/electronic-prescribing/for-dispensers/
- Pharmaceutical Defence Limited. Electronic prescriptions: National Practice Alerts. 22 December 2023. At: www.pdl.org.au/electronicprescriptions-2/
- Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. Professional practice standards 2023 Version 6. 2025. At: www.psa.org.au/practice-support-industry/pps
- Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. Correct identification and procedure matching. 2025. At: www.safetyandquality.gov.au/standards/nsqhs-standards/communicating-safetystandard/correct-identification-and-procedurematching
[post_title] => Managing eScripts sent to the wrong phone
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[post_content] => The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) has cracked down on medicinal cannabis, with new guidance to tighten up the rules and put practitioners ‘on notice’.
Poor prescribing practices have placed patients at significant harm, with AHPRA stepping in to remind prescribers and dispensers that medicinal cannabis should be treated as any other Controlled Drug (Schedule 8 medicine).
‘We don’t prescribe opioids to every patient who asks for them, and medicinal cannabis is no different,’ said Medical Board of Australia Chair, Dr Susan O’Dwyer. ‘Patient demand is no indicator of clinical need.’
AHPRA has already taken action against 57 medical practitioners, pharmacists and nurses over medicinal cannabis prescribing practices, with AHPRA CEO Justin Untersteiner confirming that the regulator is currently investigating 60 more.
Australian Pharmacist investigates the issue and pharmacists' obligations going forward.
Booming business, bad practice
Demand for medicinal cannabis has grown significantly in recent years. Australians spent approximately $402 million on medicinal cannabis in the first half of 2024, nearly matching the $448 million spent in all of 2023.
This surge in demand has led to a significant upswing in prescribing, with APHRA identifying eight practitioners who issued more than 10,000 scripts over a 6-month, and one who appears to have issued more than 17,000 scripts.
Nearly all medicinal cannabis products are unapproved Schedule 8 medicines, meaning prescribers must use the Special Access Scheme or Authorised Prescriber pathway to prescribe them.
But the development of closed loop arrangements, where medicinal cannabis is prescribed via telehealth appointments, has meant that the required level of scrutiny and investigation by prescribing doctors has perhaps not been conducted, said PSA National Vice President and Pharmacy Council of New South Wales Board Member Caroline Diamantis FPS.
[caption id="attachment_24130" align="alignright" width="267"] Caroline Diamantis FPS[/caption]
‘Prescribers need to assess if there is a therapeutic need for the prescription and ensure they've developed appropriate management plans.’
AHPRA has said that poor professional standards have been applied, particularly around the volume of medicinal cannabis being prescribed and dispensed.
‘They are looking for stronger safeguards around prescribing, real-time prescription monitoring (RTPM) and S8 controls – prioritising therapeutic need over commercial convenience,’ Ms Diamantis said.
The other concern is around various business models that have been ‘conveniently’ created around the demand for medicinal cannabis.
‘AHPRA’s concern is that the prescriber and dispenser obligations for therapeutic suitability have been overlooked,’ she added.
Part and parcel of this new business model is the delivery service for medicinal cannabis adopted by some pharmacists.
‘The very real concern is there's minimal human contact,’ she said. ‘The patient does not have an opportunity to speak with the dispensing pharmacist about any concerns or questions.’
A real danger for patients
Medicinal cannabis comes in various dosage formulations with various levels of activity including gummies, tinctures or vaporisers.
Patients can sometimes walk away with several different dose forms without prescribers investigating their:
‘It’s illegal in NSW to dispense an S8 unregistered item on a fax or email. YOu either need a token or a real paper script.' CAROLINE DIAMANTIS FPSHowever, pharmacists should also be aware there may be gaps in these records. While all electronic prescriptions and computer-generated paper scripts with an eScript barcode will automatically be recorded in RTPM as unapproved therapeutic goods, human coding errors mean sometimes medicinal cannabis prescription or dispense events are not visible. Other reasons the script may not be visible include:
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[post_content] => Endometriosis, affecting approximately one in seven Australian women, remains under-recognised, under-funded and misunderstood.
Despite the profound impact endometriosis has on health and wellbeing, its diagnosis and management is complex – with an average of 6–8 years between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis.
‘This delay is where pharmacists have a crucial role in recognising the symptoms of endometriosis and referring women promptly for diagnosis and treatment,’ said Grace Wong, Medication Safety Pharmacist at The Royal Women's Hospital – who will be leading a session on Championing change for endometriosis care at PSA25 next month.
Why does endometriosis take so long to diagnose?
There are several interrelated factors at play. Historically, a definitive diagnosis of endometriosis required laparoscopic surgery with histopathological confirmation.
But the limited availability of trained gynaecologists to perform these procedures has created a bottleneck in timely diagnosis.
Additionally, the variable and often non-specific nature of endometriosis symptoms – such as chronic pelvic pain, fatigue, dysmenorrhea, cyclical hematuria, dysuria and gastrointestinal disturbances – can lead to misdiagnosis of other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.
Patients experiencing chronic pelvic or abdominal pain may present repeatedly for symptom relief, with opioids or high-dose non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) often supplied without further investigation into the underlying cause. This pattern not only delays appropriate diagnosis but also increases the risk of adverse effects and medicine overuse.
Societal stigmas surrounding menstruation can lead many to normalise menstrual pain, delaying medical attention.
‘Removing stigma and making women feel confident and comfortable to speak to their pharmacist for advice is something pharmacists and pharmacy support staff can continue to improve,’ Wong said.
When should endometriosis be suspected?
Endometriosis should be considered in anyone of reproductive age presenting with persistent pelvic pain – especially when it’s acyclical, unresponsive to first-line treatments, or associated with other gynaecological symptoms such as dyspareunia (painful intercourse) or dysmenorrhoea.
Atypical symptoms of endometriosis include:
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[post_content] => On 1 July 2025, new vaping standards came into force for all therapeutic vaping products for smoking cessation and nicotine dependence.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration's (TGA’s) strengthened standards, designed to reduce harm from vape use, are the culmination of the national vaping reforms, said PSA Project Manager Nikita Dalla Venezia, who worked closely on the PSA’s Professional practice guidelines for pharmacists: nicotine dependence support.
‘Because the changes were fairly substantial, my understanding is that they were staggered,’ she said. ‘This is just the next step of that comprehensive approach to mitigating risk for people who use therapeutic vapes.’
The principal purpose of the reforms is to minimise youth uptake of vaping – an objective that, according to the Cancer Council’s iterative Generation Vape study, appears to be succeeding.
‘In Wave 7 of the study, which came out after the reforms were introduced, over 50% of youths said they would decline a vape if offered one from a friend, which is a substantial increase from Wave 2 data (less than 40%) that was collected prior to the reforms,’ Ms Dalla Venezia said.
What key changes are introduced in the updated standards?
Changes to the packaging, labelling and design of vaping products have been introduced.
Vaping devices and accessories now need to appear as therapeutic products to reduce their appeal for recreational use among both adolescents and adults, Ms Dalla Venezia said.
‘The packaging needs to be plain, and the design has to be simple with very limited colours,’ she said.
New labelling, usage instructions and information leaflets are also required, along with name restrictions.
‘The permitted ingredients have changed, to now only include nicotine, propylene glycol glycerol, and water,’ she said. ‘And the only flavours allowed are mint, menthol or tobacco.’
Vaping devices and accessories must also meet stricter standards for:
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[post_content] => PSA has announced that it will develop and maintain education standards for Continued Professional Development (CPD) for pharmacists, following the retirement of the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) accreditation standards for CPD activities on 31 December 2025.
The APC’s accreditation standards for CPD activities have been in place since 2013.
PSA, who already publish regular CPD through Australian Pharmacist and its education catalogue, will develop and maintain industry leading standards that will certify the quality and independence of CPD.
CPD education assessed against the standards will carry a PSA approval, giving pharmacists confidence that the education they access maintains the highest quality, upholds pharmacy practice standards, guidelines and ethics, and is free from commercial bias.
PSA National President Associate Professor Fei Sim FPS said: ‘As the national peak body for pharmacists in Australia and custodians of pharmacy practice standards, guidelines and ethics, PSA is developing education standards for CPD that give our profession – and our stakeholders – confidence in the quality of pharmacist education.
‘Our members tell us that PSA’s education is of high quality, a quality they can trust, and this scheme will mean that when they see third party education that is approved as meeting the PSA education standards, they can have a similar level of trust in it,’ she said.
‘PSA’s CPD planning tool takes the stress out of planning and recording CPD education, just as these standards will give pharmacists confidence that the CPD they access is “up-to-scratch”.’
PSA’s CPD standards are set to be introduced in 2026.
[post_title] => PSA to develop education standards for CPD activities
[post_excerpt] => With the Australian Pharmacy Council retiring its accreditation standards for CPD activities, PSA is set to step up.
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[post_content] => A practical workflow for cancelling tokens, updating profiles and preventing repeat-token errors at every dispense.
Electronic prescriptions are safe, secure and generally convenient for patients and
health practitioners.1
This convenience largely stems from the rapid transfer of prescriptions and their digital tokens without the need for a physical paper prescription. This transfer is so fast there’s often no lag between a dispensing label being printed and the patient receiving a new repeat token on their phone via SMS. So, what happens if that repeat is sent to the wrong number?
What happens if a pharmacy sends a token to the wrong phone number?
The wrong person will receive the token. While the design of tokens (no name, limited information) limits the likelihood of a privacy breach, it provides the recipient with unauthorised access to the prescription (and therefore unauthorised access to the prescribed medicine).
Will correcting the number and reissuing the token ‘fix everything’?
No. Once a token has been issued, it cannot be retrieved. Simply changing the phone number in the patient profile and reissuing the token will send the token to the patient’s preferred mobile number, but will not cancel the incorrectly issued token, which will still be sitting in the SMS inbox of the person who received it.
Then what should I do?
While a token can’t be retrieved, it can be cancelled. In dispensing software cancelling the dispensing event which caused the token to be generated will cancel the repeat token which was issued because of it.
The patient contact details in their profile in the dispensing software should then be updated, including verifying their electronic prescription preferences. The prescription should then be re-dispensed through the dispensing system.2
Do I need to report this to my indemnity insurer?
Yes, especially if the issue is not identified at the time of dispensing. A note should be added to the patient profile documenting the incident. Documentation may also be required in the pharmacy’s incident log.
How can this be avoided?
Check patient mobile phone numbers at every dispense event prior to authorising dispensing and generating the dispensing label. Multiple different workflows can achieve this, such as checking during forward dispensing – or verifying mobile phone numbers at scripts-in.
As one of the approved identifiers, mobile phone number is a good choice of identifier to use as one of the three identifiers at scripts-in, patient selection and/or scripts-out.3,4
References
- digitalhealth.gov.au. Electronic prescribing: for dispensers. 2025. At: www.digitalhealth.gov.au/ealthcare-providers/initiatives-and-programs/electronic-prescribing/for-dispensers/
- Pharmaceutical Defence Limited. Electronic prescriptions: National Practice Alerts. 22 December 2023. At: www.pdl.org.au/electronicprescriptions-2/
- Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. Professional practice standards 2023 Version 6. 2025. At: www.psa.org.au/practice-support-industry/pps
- Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. Correct identification and procedure matching. 2025. At: www.safetyandquality.gov.au/standards/nsqhs-standards/communicating-safetystandard/correct-identification-and-procedurematching
[post_title] => Managing eScripts sent to the wrong phone
[post_excerpt] => From cancelling the dispensing event to reissuing the prescription, these key steps ensure no token is left active in unauthorised hands.
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[post_content] => The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) has cracked down on medicinal cannabis, with new guidance to tighten up the rules and put practitioners ‘on notice’.
Poor prescribing practices have placed patients at significant harm, with AHPRA stepping in to remind prescribers and dispensers that medicinal cannabis should be treated as any other Controlled Drug (Schedule 8 medicine).
‘We don’t prescribe opioids to every patient who asks for them, and medicinal cannabis is no different,’ said Medical Board of Australia Chair, Dr Susan O’Dwyer. ‘Patient demand is no indicator of clinical need.’
AHPRA has already taken action against 57 medical practitioners, pharmacists and nurses over medicinal cannabis prescribing practices, with AHPRA CEO Justin Untersteiner confirming that the regulator is currently investigating 60 more.
Australian Pharmacist investigates the issue and pharmacists' obligations going forward.
Booming business, bad practice
Demand for medicinal cannabis has grown significantly in recent years. Australians spent approximately $402 million on medicinal cannabis in the first half of 2024, nearly matching the $448 million spent in all of 2023.
This surge in demand has led to a significant upswing in prescribing, with APHRA identifying eight practitioners who issued more than 10,000 scripts over a 6-month, and one who appears to have issued more than 17,000 scripts.
Nearly all medicinal cannabis products are unapproved Schedule 8 medicines, meaning prescribers must use the Special Access Scheme or Authorised Prescriber pathway to prescribe them.
But the development of closed loop arrangements, where medicinal cannabis is prescribed via telehealth appointments, has meant that the required level of scrutiny and investigation by prescribing doctors has perhaps not been conducted, said PSA National Vice President and Pharmacy Council of New South Wales Board Member Caroline Diamantis FPS.
[caption id="attachment_24130" align="alignright" width="267"] Caroline Diamantis FPS[/caption]
‘Prescribers need to assess if there is a therapeutic need for the prescription and ensure they've developed appropriate management plans.’
AHPRA has said that poor professional standards have been applied, particularly around the volume of medicinal cannabis being prescribed and dispensed.
‘They are looking for stronger safeguards around prescribing, real-time prescription monitoring (RTPM) and S8 controls – prioritising therapeutic need over commercial convenience,’ Ms Diamantis said.
The other concern is around various business models that have been ‘conveniently’ created around the demand for medicinal cannabis.
‘AHPRA’s concern is that the prescriber and dispenser obligations for therapeutic suitability have been overlooked,’ she added.
Part and parcel of this new business model is the delivery service for medicinal cannabis adopted by some pharmacists.
‘The very real concern is there's minimal human contact,’ she said. ‘The patient does not have an opportunity to speak with the dispensing pharmacist about any concerns or questions.’
A real danger for patients
Medicinal cannabis comes in various dosage formulations with various levels of activity including gummies, tinctures or vaporisers.
Patients can sometimes walk away with several different dose forms without prescribers investigating their:
‘It’s illegal in NSW to dispense an S8 unregistered item on a fax or email. YOu either need a token or a real paper script.' CAROLINE DIAMANTIS FPSHowever, pharmacists should also be aware there may be gaps in these records. While all electronic prescriptions and computer-generated paper scripts with an eScript barcode will automatically be recorded in RTPM as unapproved therapeutic goods, human coding errors mean sometimes medicinal cannabis prescription or dispense events are not visible. Other reasons the script may not be visible include:
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[post_date] => 2025-07-09 10:22:04
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[post_content] => Endometriosis, affecting approximately one in seven Australian women, remains under-recognised, under-funded and misunderstood.
Despite the profound impact endometriosis has on health and wellbeing, its diagnosis and management is complex – with an average of 6–8 years between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis.
‘This delay is where pharmacists have a crucial role in recognising the symptoms of endometriosis and referring women promptly for diagnosis and treatment,’ said Grace Wong, Medication Safety Pharmacist at The Royal Women's Hospital – who will be leading a session on Championing change for endometriosis care at PSA25 next month.
Why does endometriosis take so long to diagnose?
There are several interrelated factors at play. Historically, a definitive diagnosis of endometriosis required laparoscopic surgery with histopathological confirmation.
But the limited availability of trained gynaecologists to perform these procedures has created a bottleneck in timely diagnosis.
Additionally, the variable and often non-specific nature of endometriosis symptoms – such as chronic pelvic pain, fatigue, dysmenorrhea, cyclical hematuria, dysuria and gastrointestinal disturbances – can lead to misdiagnosis of other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.
Patients experiencing chronic pelvic or abdominal pain may present repeatedly for symptom relief, with opioids or high-dose non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) often supplied without further investigation into the underlying cause. This pattern not only delays appropriate diagnosis but also increases the risk of adverse effects and medicine overuse.
Societal stigmas surrounding menstruation can lead many to normalise menstrual pain, delaying medical attention.
‘Removing stigma and making women feel confident and comfortable to speak to their pharmacist for advice is something pharmacists and pharmacy support staff can continue to improve,’ Wong said.
When should endometriosis be suspected?
Endometriosis should be considered in anyone of reproductive age presenting with persistent pelvic pain – especially when it’s acyclical, unresponsive to first-line treatments, or associated with other gynaecological symptoms such as dyspareunia (painful intercourse) or dysmenorrhoea.
Atypical symptoms of endometriosis include:
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[post_content] => On 1 July 2025, new vaping standards came into force for all therapeutic vaping products for smoking cessation and nicotine dependence.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration's (TGA’s) strengthened standards, designed to reduce harm from vape use, are the culmination of the national vaping reforms, said PSA Project Manager Nikita Dalla Venezia, who worked closely on the PSA’s Professional practice guidelines for pharmacists: nicotine dependence support.
‘Because the changes were fairly substantial, my understanding is that they were staggered,’ she said. ‘This is just the next step of that comprehensive approach to mitigating risk for people who use therapeutic vapes.’
The principal purpose of the reforms is to minimise youth uptake of vaping – an objective that, according to the Cancer Council’s iterative Generation Vape study, appears to be succeeding.
‘In Wave 7 of the study, which came out after the reforms were introduced, over 50% of youths said they would decline a vape if offered one from a friend, which is a substantial increase from Wave 2 data (less than 40%) that was collected prior to the reforms,’ Ms Dalla Venezia said.
What key changes are introduced in the updated standards?
Changes to the packaging, labelling and design of vaping products have been introduced.
Vaping devices and accessories now need to appear as therapeutic products to reduce their appeal for recreational use among both adolescents and adults, Ms Dalla Venezia said.
‘The packaging needs to be plain, and the design has to be simple with very limited colours,’ she said.
New labelling, usage instructions and information leaflets are also required, along with name restrictions.
‘The permitted ingredients have changed, to now only include nicotine, propylene glycol glycerol, and water,’ she said. ‘And the only flavours allowed are mint, menthol or tobacco.’
Vaping devices and accessories must also meet stricter standards for:
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[post_content] => PSA has announced that it will develop and maintain education standards for Continued Professional Development (CPD) for pharmacists, following the retirement of the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) accreditation standards for CPD activities on 31 December 2025.
The APC’s accreditation standards for CPD activities have been in place since 2013.
PSA, who already publish regular CPD through Australian Pharmacist and its education catalogue, will develop and maintain industry leading standards that will certify the quality and independence of CPD.
CPD education assessed against the standards will carry a PSA approval, giving pharmacists confidence that the education they access maintains the highest quality, upholds pharmacy practice standards, guidelines and ethics, and is free from commercial bias.
PSA National President Associate Professor Fei Sim FPS said: ‘As the national peak body for pharmacists in Australia and custodians of pharmacy practice standards, guidelines and ethics, PSA is developing education standards for CPD that give our profession – and our stakeholders – confidence in the quality of pharmacist education.
‘Our members tell us that PSA’s education is of high quality, a quality they can trust, and this scheme will mean that when they see third party education that is approved as meeting the PSA education standards, they can have a similar level of trust in it,’ she said.
‘PSA’s CPD planning tool takes the stress out of planning and recording CPD education, just as these standards will give pharmacists confidence that the CPD they access is “up-to-scratch”.’
PSA’s CPD standards are set to be introduced in 2026.
[post_title] => PSA to develop education standards for CPD activities
[post_excerpt] => With the Australian Pharmacy Council retiring its accreditation standards for CPD activities, PSA is set to step up.
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[post_content] => A practical workflow for cancelling tokens, updating profiles and preventing repeat-token errors at every dispense.
Electronic prescriptions are safe, secure and generally convenient for patients and
health practitioners.1
This convenience largely stems from the rapid transfer of prescriptions and their digital tokens without the need for a physical paper prescription. This transfer is so fast there’s often no lag between a dispensing label being printed and the patient receiving a new repeat token on their phone via SMS. So, what happens if that repeat is sent to the wrong number?
What happens if a pharmacy sends a token to the wrong phone number?
The wrong person will receive the token. While the design of tokens (no name, limited information) limits the likelihood of a privacy breach, it provides the recipient with unauthorised access to the prescription (and therefore unauthorised access to the prescribed medicine).
Will correcting the number and reissuing the token ‘fix everything’?
No. Once a token has been issued, it cannot be retrieved. Simply changing the phone number in the patient profile and reissuing the token will send the token to the patient’s preferred mobile number, but will not cancel the incorrectly issued token, which will still be sitting in the SMS inbox of the person who received it.
Then what should I do?
While a token can’t be retrieved, it can be cancelled. In dispensing software cancelling the dispensing event which caused the token to be generated will cancel the repeat token which was issued because of it.
The patient contact details in their profile in the dispensing software should then be updated, including verifying their electronic prescription preferences. The prescription should then be re-dispensed through the dispensing system.2
Do I need to report this to my indemnity insurer?
Yes, especially if the issue is not identified at the time of dispensing. A note should be added to the patient profile documenting the incident. Documentation may also be required in the pharmacy’s incident log.
How can this be avoided?
Check patient mobile phone numbers at every dispense event prior to authorising dispensing and generating the dispensing label. Multiple different workflows can achieve this, such as checking during forward dispensing – or verifying mobile phone numbers at scripts-in.
As one of the approved identifiers, mobile phone number is a good choice of identifier to use as one of the three identifiers at scripts-in, patient selection and/or scripts-out.3,4
References
- digitalhealth.gov.au. Electronic prescribing: for dispensers. 2025. At: www.digitalhealth.gov.au/ealthcare-providers/initiatives-and-programs/electronic-prescribing/for-dispensers/
- Pharmaceutical Defence Limited. Electronic prescriptions: National Practice Alerts. 22 December 2023. At: www.pdl.org.au/electronicprescriptions-2/
- Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. Professional practice standards 2023 Version 6. 2025. At: www.psa.org.au/practice-support-industry/pps
- Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. Correct identification and procedure matching. 2025. At: www.safetyandquality.gov.au/standards/nsqhs-standards/communicating-safetystandard/correct-identification-and-procedurematching
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[post_content] => The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) has cracked down on medicinal cannabis, with new guidance to tighten up the rules and put practitioners ‘on notice’.
Poor prescribing practices have placed patients at significant harm, with AHPRA stepping in to remind prescribers and dispensers that medicinal cannabis should be treated as any other Controlled Drug (Schedule 8 medicine).
‘We don’t prescribe opioids to every patient who asks for them, and medicinal cannabis is no different,’ said Medical Board of Australia Chair, Dr Susan O’Dwyer. ‘Patient demand is no indicator of clinical need.’
AHPRA has already taken action against 57 medical practitioners, pharmacists and nurses over medicinal cannabis prescribing practices, with AHPRA CEO Justin Untersteiner confirming that the regulator is currently investigating 60 more.
Australian Pharmacist investigates the issue and pharmacists' obligations going forward.
Booming business, bad practice
Demand for medicinal cannabis has grown significantly in recent years. Australians spent approximately $402 million on medicinal cannabis in the first half of 2024, nearly matching the $448 million spent in all of 2023.
This surge in demand has led to a significant upswing in prescribing, with APHRA identifying eight practitioners who issued more than 10,000 scripts over a 6-month, and one who appears to have issued more than 17,000 scripts.
Nearly all medicinal cannabis products are unapproved Schedule 8 medicines, meaning prescribers must use the Special Access Scheme or Authorised Prescriber pathway to prescribe them.
But the development of closed loop arrangements, where medicinal cannabis is prescribed via telehealth appointments, has meant that the required level of scrutiny and investigation by prescribing doctors has perhaps not been conducted, said PSA National Vice President and Pharmacy Council of New South Wales Board Member Caroline Diamantis FPS.
[caption id="attachment_24130" align="alignright" width="267"] Caroline Diamantis FPS[/caption]
‘Prescribers need to assess if there is a therapeutic need for the prescription and ensure they've developed appropriate management plans.’
AHPRA has said that poor professional standards have been applied, particularly around the volume of medicinal cannabis being prescribed and dispensed.
‘They are looking for stronger safeguards around prescribing, real-time prescription monitoring (RTPM) and S8 controls – prioritising therapeutic need over commercial convenience,’ Ms Diamantis said.
The other concern is around various business models that have been ‘conveniently’ created around the demand for medicinal cannabis.
‘AHPRA’s concern is that the prescriber and dispenser obligations for therapeutic suitability have been overlooked,’ she added.
Part and parcel of this new business model is the delivery service for medicinal cannabis adopted by some pharmacists.
‘The very real concern is there's minimal human contact,’ she said. ‘The patient does not have an opportunity to speak with the dispensing pharmacist about any concerns or questions.’
A real danger for patients
Medicinal cannabis comes in various dosage formulations with various levels of activity including gummies, tinctures or vaporisers.
Patients can sometimes walk away with several different dose forms without prescribers investigating their:
‘It’s illegal in NSW to dispense an S8 unregistered item on a fax or email. YOu either need a token or a real paper script.' CAROLINE DIAMANTIS FPSHowever, pharmacists should also be aware there may be gaps in these records. While all electronic prescriptions and computer-generated paper scripts with an eScript barcode will automatically be recorded in RTPM as unapproved therapeutic goods, human coding errors mean sometimes medicinal cannabis prescription or dispense events are not visible. Other reasons the script may not be visible include:
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[post_content] => Endometriosis, affecting approximately one in seven Australian women, remains under-recognised, under-funded and misunderstood.
Despite the profound impact endometriosis has on health and wellbeing, its diagnosis and management is complex – with an average of 6–8 years between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis.
‘This delay is where pharmacists have a crucial role in recognising the symptoms of endometriosis and referring women promptly for diagnosis and treatment,’ said Grace Wong, Medication Safety Pharmacist at The Royal Women's Hospital – who will be leading a session on Championing change for endometriosis care at PSA25 next month.
Why does endometriosis take so long to diagnose?
There are several interrelated factors at play. Historically, a definitive diagnosis of endometriosis required laparoscopic surgery with histopathological confirmation.
But the limited availability of trained gynaecologists to perform these procedures has created a bottleneck in timely diagnosis.
Additionally, the variable and often non-specific nature of endometriosis symptoms – such as chronic pelvic pain, fatigue, dysmenorrhea, cyclical hematuria, dysuria and gastrointestinal disturbances – can lead to misdiagnosis of other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.
Patients experiencing chronic pelvic or abdominal pain may present repeatedly for symptom relief, with opioids or high-dose non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) often supplied without further investigation into the underlying cause. This pattern not only delays appropriate diagnosis but also increases the risk of adverse effects and medicine overuse.
Societal stigmas surrounding menstruation can lead many to normalise menstrual pain, delaying medical attention.
‘Removing stigma and making women feel confident and comfortable to speak to their pharmacist for advice is something pharmacists and pharmacy support staff can continue to improve,’ Wong said.
When should endometriosis be suspected?
Endometriosis should be considered in anyone of reproductive age presenting with persistent pelvic pain – especially when it’s acyclical, unresponsive to first-line treatments, or associated with other gynaecological symptoms such as dyspareunia (painful intercourse) or dysmenorrhoea.
Atypical symptoms of endometriosis include:
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[post_content] => On 1 July 2025, new vaping standards came into force for all therapeutic vaping products for smoking cessation and nicotine dependence.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration's (TGA’s) strengthened standards, designed to reduce harm from vape use, are the culmination of the national vaping reforms, said PSA Project Manager Nikita Dalla Venezia, who worked closely on the PSA’s Professional practice guidelines for pharmacists: nicotine dependence support.
‘Because the changes were fairly substantial, my understanding is that they were staggered,’ she said. ‘This is just the next step of that comprehensive approach to mitigating risk for people who use therapeutic vapes.’
The principal purpose of the reforms is to minimise youth uptake of vaping – an objective that, according to the Cancer Council’s iterative Generation Vape study, appears to be succeeding.
‘In Wave 7 of the study, which came out after the reforms were introduced, over 50% of youths said they would decline a vape if offered one from a friend, which is a substantial increase from Wave 2 data (less than 40%) that was collected prior to the reforms,’ Ms Dalla Venezia said.
What key changes are introduced in the updated standards?
Changes to the packaging, labelling and design of vaping products have been introduced.
Vaping devices and accessories now need to appear as therapeutic products to reduce their appeal for recreational use among both adolescents and adults, Ms Dalla Venezia said.
‘The packaging needs to be plain, and the design has to be simple with very limited colours,’ she said.
New labelling, usage instructions and information leaflets are also required, along with name restrictions.
‘The permitted ingredients have changed, to now only include nicotine, propylene glycol glycerol, and water,’ she said. ‘And the only flavours allowed are mint, menthol or tobacco.’
Vaping devices and accessories must also meet stricter standards for:
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[post_content] => PSA has announced that it will develop and maintain education standards for Continued Professional Development (CPD) for pharmacists, following the retirement of the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) accreditation standards for CPD activities on 31 December 2025.
The APC’s accreditation standards for CPD activities have been in place since 2013.
PSA, who already publish regular CPD through Australian Pharmacist and its education catalogue, will develop and maintain industry leading standards that will certify the quality and independence of CPD.
CPD education assessed against the standards will carry a PSA approval, giving pharmacists confidence that the education they access maintains the highest quality, upholds pharmacy practice standards, guidelines and ethics, and is free from commercial bias.
PSA National President Associate Professor Fei Sim FPS said: ‘As the national peak body for pharmacists in Australia and custodians of pharmacy practice standards, guidelines and ethics, PSA is developing education standards for CPD that give our profession – and our stakeholders – confidence in the quality of pharmacist education.
‘Our members tell us that PSA’s education is of high quality, a quality they can trust, and this scheme will mean that when they see third party education that is approved as meeting the PSA education standards, they can have a similar level of trust in it,’ she said.
‘PSA’s CPD planning tool takes the stress out of planning and recording CPD education, just as these standards will give pharmacists confidence that the CPD they access is “up-to-scratch”.’
PSA’s CPD standards are set to be introduced in 2026.
[post_title] => PSA to develop education standards for CPD activities
[post_excerpt] => With the Australian Pharmacy Council retiring its accreditation standards for CPD activities, PSA is set to step up.
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Australian Pharmacist is the official journal for Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd.
