No images? Click here Pharmacy Council News October 2023Council MessageWelcome to the October 2023 edition of the Pharmacy Council of NSW newsletter. In this edition, we provide an update on Schedule 8 medicine destruction in community pharmacies. Also included is a link to communications from the Ministry of Health which includes information about improving SafeScript NSW data, an update on Covid-19 and influenza transmission, ATAGI recommendations for vaccination, listeria risk and an important message on summer preparedness. The CPD year for 2023 has now come to an end and we remind all pharmacists of the importance of CPD in maintaining and improving your current levels of competency and familiarity with all aspects of your scope of practice. It is prudent to try to include some face-to-face education in your CPD plan for 2024 as this gives you the opportunity to network with other members of the profession. As you may have seen, 25 September was World Pharmacists’ Day. In celebration of this, I’d like to thank you for continuing to have a positive impact and influence on the health outcomes of your communities. Finally, a reminder that annual registrations are now open. When completing your renewal, please ensure that Ahpra has your correct email address as this will ensure you receive relevant notifications from Ahpra, the Pharmacy Board of Australia and the Pharmacy Council of NSW. Veronica Murdoch Updated guidelines: Destruction of Schedule 8 medicines by community pharmacistsAs of 29 September 2023, the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation 2008 will allow a pharmacist who practises at a community pharmacy to destroy a drug of addiction (Schedule 8 medicine) at the pharmacy in the presence of an *independent witness. A pharmacist who destroys a Schedule 8 medicine must record the following in the drug register kept at the pharmacy: (a)the date of destruction * independent witness means a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner or pharmacist who: (a) is not employed or otherwise engaged to provide professional services at the pharmacy, and #family member means the person’s: (a) spouse or de facto partner How to destroy Schedule 8 medicines Things to remember:
Methods for destroying Schedule 8 medicines Things to have on hand:
All Schedule 8 medicines for destruction should be removed from packaging (except ampoules) and rendered unusable. Ampoules: Wrap cardboard box containing the ampoules in paper towel to absorb the liquid, stomp on the box to crush the ampoules, place in a sharps container. Liquids: Pour into absorbent material such as kitty litter, add detergent. Tablets/Capsules/Films/Lozenges: Place in a heat resistant container such as a mortar and add boiling water and detergent, allow to dissolve over time, crush any remaining solids using the pestle, pour into absorbent material such as kitty litter (start with extended-release products as they take longer to dissolve). Transdermal patches: Remove the patch from packaging, cut patch with scissors in small pieces, add to kitty litter with detergent. Cannabis plant material: Grind using a mortar and pestle, add detergent, pour into absorbent material such as kitty litter. Place all destroyed materials other than sharps into a RUM bin and seal closed. Support improving SafeScript NSW data qualitySafeScript NSW is part of NSW Health’s commitment to reduce harm from monitored medicines and help save lives. The prescribing and dispensing information in SafeScript NSW helps prescribers and pharmacists make safer clinical decisions about a patient’s care. Pharmacists have a role in providing accurate data in our clinical systems to create a single patient record with a reliable overview of the prescribers, pharmacists and medicines used. When dispensing Schedule 8 medicines, NSW Health asks that you:
We appreciate your support with improving data quality. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please email MOH-PharmaceuticalServices@health.nsw.gov.au or for more information about SafeScript NSW, please email SafeScript@health.nsw.gov.au. COVID-19 and influenza updateCOVID-19 continues to circulate in the NSW community but at relatively low levels following an increase over winter. The northern hemisphere is currently seeing an increase in COVID-19 circulation. Influenza transmission in NSW continues to decline from a peak in July and is now circulating at moderate levels in the community. Both influenza A and influenza B circulated this winter in NSW, with influenza B predominantly affecting children. Listeria riskThere has been a recent rise in the number of people with invasive listeriosis being treated in hospital, as well as a steady increase in notifications, since April 2022. When interacting with at-risk people in the community, pharmacists and staff should take the opportunity to counsel those at risk, particularly pregnant women, the elderly and people immunocompromised by certain medications. Be prepared this summerHeat Weather forecasts predict there will be hotter weather this summer. Heatwaves and shorter periods of hot weather can seriously impact people’s health. NSW Health encourages pharmacists to discuss getting prepared for heat this summer season with people at higher risk of heat-related illness, including prompting relevant actions such as:
2023/24 registration feesThe 2023/24 annual registration fees for NSW registered pharmacists have been set by the Pharmacy Board of Australia. The fees are:
The full schedule of fees is available at the Pharmacy Board of Australia website. The annual registration fee must be paid to Ahpra. It will cover the registration period from 1 December 2023 to 30 November 2024. The registration fee for all NSW registered health professionals under the national scheme comprises of two components:
The complaints component for NSW health practitioners is subject to approval by the NSW Minister for Health under section 26A of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW). The complaints component is a cost recovery model and is not subsidised by other health professions. NSW Health Professional Councils and Health Professional Councils Authority joint Aboriginal Cultural Safety Strategy 2023-24In June 2023, the NSW Health Professional Councils and the Health Professional Councils Authority (HPCA) launched its joint Aboriginal Cultural Safety Strategy. The joint Strategy aims to improve the experiences of Aboriginal people who interact with the NSW healthcare and regulatory system. Our Strategy aligns with existing state and national initiatives to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal people. The Councils, HPCA and regulatory system exist for the benefit and protection of the NSW community and we acknowledge that Aboriginal people have, and continue to suffer, disproportionate levels of disadvantage, including in health outcomes. Our Strategy aims to strengthen cultural safety within the NSW regulatory system through increased participation of Aboriginal people and collaboration with stakeholders. Recent NSW Tribunal decisionsHealth Care Complaints Commission v Yoseph Akawee The Tribunal found Mr Akawee guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct and professional misconduct relating to the dispensing of Schedule 8 drugs. The registration of the pharmacist was cancelled with a non-review period of one year from the date of the orders. He was also ordered to pay the HCCC's costs as agreed or as assessed. Health Care Complaints Commission v Michael Stanley Lowe The Tribunal found that the practitioner engaged in unsatisfactory professional conduct by failing to notify the National Board in relation to criminal charges for certain offences. The Tribunal found that Mr Lowe had been convicted of the following offences:
It cancelled Mr Lowe’s registration with a non-review period of three years from the date of the orders. Health Care Complaints Commission v Cheng-Yun (Jason) Mai The Tribunal found that Mr Mai had been convicted of criminal offences under the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 and the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966 (NSW) for suppling prohibited drugs and for selling restricted substances. It determined that the practitioner had engaged in unsatisfactory professional conduct for failing to notify the National Board within seven days of being charged with a criminal offence. His registration was cancelled with a non-review period of one year from the date of the orders. Health Care Complaints Commission v Ms Sabina Kaur Grewal The Tribunal found that Ms Grewal had failed to notify the National Board within seven days of being charged and failed to disclose her criminal history when lodging an application for renewal of her registration. The pharmacist was also found to have breached conditions on her registration. The Tribunal cancelled her registration as a pharmacist with a non-review period of three years. The practitioner was further prohibited from providing a health service for a period of three years and ordered to pay the commission's costs. Useful linksSafeScript NSW is now available to all prescribers and pharmacists in NSW. If you haven’t already registered, you can do it here. If you need support to manage patients using monitored medicines, you can call the SafeScript NSW Clinical Advice Line anytime on 1800 434 155 or refer to your local HealthPathways for specific clinical advice for Pharmacists. Pharmacy Council podcasts: The Council's podcasts are all now conveniently located on a single webpage. Webinar: Council representatives were pleased to collaborate with the AJP to present a webinar discussing key areas of complaints to NSW regulators and how to avoid the regulatory pitfalls whether you are a pharmacist, proprietor or manager. We encourage you to view the webinar here. |