General Health
National Condom Day
The aim of National Condom Day 2017 is to help people feel more assertive when it comes to making decisions about sex, and in raising the topic of condoms and safe sex with a partner.
Teenagers and Alcohol - an unhealthy combination.
For adolescents, drinking alcohol contributes to the three leading causes of death for this age group – unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide. In addition, over 50% of alcohol-related serious road injuries occur in the 15–24-year-old age bracket.
Overweight and Obesity
Gaining weight can increase your risk of health problems, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. People with most of their body fat around their waist, which surrounds our vital organs, are at an increased risk.
Food Safety Week
The term ‘food poisoning’ refers to the illnesses that are caused by eating or drinking contaminated food or drink. Symptoms of food poisoning can range from mild to very severe, and can include one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, and headaches. Symptoms will usually take between a few hours to a few days to appear, and may last for a few days, depending on the cause of the food poisoning.
Pharmacists: Caring for you
This year’s theme was chosen to reflect the important role of pharmacists in providing care to the public, and also to highlight the emotional connection they have with their patients.
Sitting down on the Job harming health
Half of workers report that they are sitting often or for all of the time they are at work, prompting Safe Work Australia to urge Australians to reduce their time sitting at work.
Should you go Gluten Free
For the majority of the population, gluten has no effect on the body. However for about 1% of the Australian population, gluten can be harmful. These people suffer from coeliac disease.
BBQ for Kidney Health
Typically, Chronic Kidney Disease has no symptoms, and despite affecting 1 in 10, many people are not even aware that they have kidney problems. One-third of Australians are at increased risk of developing CKD.
Medicinal cannabis to be cultivated through a single national scheme
Ms Ley made it clear that the initiative did not relate to the decriminalisation of cannabis for recreational use, which remained a law enforcement issue for individual states and territories.
Antibiotic Use
Many people who have a cold or the flu think that antibiotics will help them get better faster. This is not true. Antibiotics do not kill viruses so will have no effect on colds or the flu.
From farm to Pharmacy: regulating medicinal cannabis in Australia
The legislative road to allow people medically certified as terminally ill and their carers to register to use cannabis for therapeutic purposes is a long and tortuous road ahead.
The modern Pharmacist
More and more, pharmacists are offering professional services for disease management within the walls of your local pharmacy. From immunisations to wound care, diabetes services to sleep apnoea consultations, pharmacists are keen to offer their expertise and skills in an effort to educate and encourage their customers to take vital steps towards improving their health. Next time you’re here why not ask our pharmacists what services we offer?
5CPA Consumer survey finds high level of satisfaction with community pharmacy
"The findings highlight the accessibility of pharmacy – in terms of location, opening hours, and appointment-free visits – making pharmacy the first point of contact for many consumers in the health system,”
Pharmacy role in managing disease
Dr Sabater-Hernández says the 5000 or so community pharmacies in Australia are well placed, with other healthcare professionals, to screen and manage the main cardiovascular risk factors before they lead to heart attack or stroke.
Chronic Disease hits 50%
The eight chronic diseases include arthritis, asthma, back problems, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and mental health conditions.
Preventing Falls and Brain Injury
Brain injury is common, affecting over 1 in 12 Australians, often with no visible signs that they are experiencing ongoing issues. While the outcome of the injury depends largely on the nature and severity of the injury itself, appropriate treatment plays a vital role in the level of recovery.
Choice concludes that Pharmacies are cheaper than supermarkets.
The CHOICE survey on which the report was based also found that pharmacies often sell cheaper brands than the name brands sold in supermarkets, more effective active ingredients, stronger doses, and a broader range of medicines.
More concerns over OTC NSAIDS
The FDA is recommending that patients and health care professionals remain alert for heart-related side effects the entire time that NSAIDs are being taken.
The world's population is getting sicker
People lose more "years of healthy life" to illness than they did in the 1990s.
Raising awareness of Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a disorder of brain function that takes the form of recurring convulsive or non-convulsive seizures. Epilepsy is not just one condition; rather it is a diverse family of disorders comprising many seizure types.
Grey Matter matters
Brain Awareness week turns 20 this year and runs from the 16th to the 22nd March.
How antibiotic pollution of waterways creates superbugs
The problem is that up to 80% of an antibiotic dose passes straight through the body. So most of the antibiotics used in medical treatment or during animal production may end up in waste water.
Healthy Sleep Habits
A 2013 study of Australian sleep habits found that up to 35% of us experience sleep difficulties including lack of sleep, fatigue, and problems initiating or maintaining sleep.
Any exercise is good - but higher intensity exercise might be better
A study has found that brisk walking lowers blood sugar mores than a slow walk.
Should you go "gluten free"?
For the majority of the population, gluten has no effect on the body. For some people (approximately 1% of the Australian population) gluten can be harmful. Those people suffer from Coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity.
Needle-less Vaccines on their way
Australian researchers will later this year begin clinical trials in adults of a Nanopatch to deliver vaccines through a tiny patch on the skin.
OTC Codeine harms on the rise
"We need to look at pharmacist education and consumer education as well as regulatory changes" to limit the quantity and frequency of OTC codeine being sold to patients, Professor Lintzeris said.
Not berry good
Hepatitis A is a "faecal to mouth" infection commonly caused by eating food grown in unsanitary conditions that has not been properly cooked or completely cleaned.
Wake up call on Cancer
Cancer was the largest contributor to "years of life" lost in 2010.
Are you sitting down too much?
More sedentary time was positively associated with an increased risk of disease.
Teenagers and Alcohol - an unhealthy combination.
A survey by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) found that 90% of Australian secondary school students have tried alcohol by the age of 14.
Kidney Health
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing public health problem. Approximately 1 in 10 Australians over 18 years have evidence of CKD. In CKD, the kidneys slowly stop working over a period of months or years.
Medicines and Driving
Many over-the-counter (OTC) medicines including antihistamines for allergy, and prescription medicines such as opioid pain relievers and benzodiazepines (for anxiety or sleep disorders) come with warnings against the operation of machinery – including motor vehicles – for a specified period of time after use. This is because these medicines can impair driving and make traffic accidents much more likely.
Two thirds of cancer cases caused by "bad luck".
A John Hopkins Medicine study has shown that in 31 typical cancers, almost two thirds were due to "bad luck" gene mutations rather than genetics or environmental factors.
The Pain of Shingles
Approximately 150,000 Australians suffer an attack of shingles each year.It is estimated that by the age of 85 one in every two Australians will develop shingles.
Heartburn
Heartburn is caused by the contents of the stomach coming back up into the oesophagus (the ‘food pipe’), resulting in a burning sensation in the chest or throat.
Keeping bones healthy
The statistics on osteoporosis are frightening. Every 5–6 minutes someone is admitted to an Australian hospital with a fracture as a result of osteoporosis. This is likely to increase to every 3–4 minutes within the next 10 years.
International Day of People with Disability
The International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) is a UN initiative that aims to promote an understanding of people with disability and encourage support for their dignity, rights and wellbeing.
Antibiotic Resistance
Unfortunately many bacteria are now resistant to commonly used antibiotics. Infections caused by these antibiotic-resistant bacteria have become very difficult to treat. This is what is known as antibiotic resistance – when antibiotics can no longer cure bacterial infections – and has been a growing concern for years.
Hayfever really gets up your Nose
Allergic rhinitis is one of the most common chronic respiratory conditions in Australia. It affects around 15% of Australians, or 3.1 million people. Clearly then, hay fever is not a condition to be sneezed at.
Old age
‘Old age’ is always 10 years older than you are today.
Headache
Headache and Migraine awareness week is 15th to 21st September.
Brain injury
Brain awareness week has just been held from 11th to 17th August.
Hearing impairment
Hearing awareness week is held from 24th to the 30th August
Love your Lungs
Pneumonia is a serious disease for those Australians over 65 years old and at risk.
Tackling irritable bowel syndrome
It is estimated that one in five Australians experiences the unpleasant symptoms of IBS at some time in their life.
Taking the stigma out of Parkinson's.
Living with Parkinson's affects not only the individual but also families, workers and the wider spectrum of the community.
Stay upright
Australia is seeing increasing rates of older people admitted to hospital for treatment following a fall.
Sleep - never enough?
It seems we are never satisfied with the amount of sleep we get - or don't get!
Brain awareness
The human brain is one of the least understood organs of our body despite being amongst the most studied.
Protect your Kidneys
Kidney disease joins heart disease and diabetes as the "big three" of causes of mortality in Australia
Salt in your diet
Salt hidden in the food you eat is a diet risk
Deaths from Cancer
The World Cancer report has confirmed that cancer is the leading cause of mortality worldwide, responsible for 8.2 million deaths a year.
Sensible alcohol consumption
After a long hot summer filled with parties and celebrations, on reflection, we might have consumed more alcohol than we have in the past.
Immunisation
Immunisation is one of the most effective medical interventions we have to prevent disease.
Diet might help Age related Macular Degeneration.
Weekly consumption of fish was associated with a reduced risk of late AMD.
Generic medicines fact sheet
The Theraputic Goods Administration, an arm of the Australian Government's Department of Health, is responsible for the regulation of medicines. In this fact card from it's website, the TGA answers consumer questions about generic medicines.
Major leap for Australian genetic medicines
Genetic mapping has taken a significant step forward in Australia with Sydney's Garvan Institute buying a system that can map the whole human genome quicker and cheaper than previous systems.
Driving on medicines
Fatigue caused by medicines can often cause disaster.
Cool medicines
In the midst of an Australian summer, it is important to keep your medicines cool.
Aussies to be automatically enrolled for e-Health records under changes
eHealth records mooted to be "opt out" rather than "opt in".
Suncare and your skin
Slip, slop,slap, seek and slide.
Prostate Cancer rates increasing
Although Prostate Cancer rates are increasing, so are survival rates.
Diabetes and exercise
Attention to diet and exercise are vital steps in managing Diabetes.
Antibiotic awareness
Australians are amongst the highest users of Antibiotics - often when one is not needed.
Cholesterol and your heart and stroke risk
Find out your risk of stroke with an easy test.
Statins and Heart Disease
Following on from the controversy caused by the ABC's Catalyst show, here are some facts from Australia's eminent Health Authority, The National Heart Foundation.
Fibre and Flatulence
Flatulence is a normal part of the digestive process. Whether it smells or not often depends on your diet.
Be Medicine Wise
Do you know the right time to take the right dose of the right medicine?
If not, come in and talk to your Pharmacist.
High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is the pressure of blood against blood vessel walls. We all need some blood pressure, called normal blood pressure, to stay alive, but blood pressure that is higher than normal can be dangerous. A healthy lifestyle helps keep blood pressure normal and certain medicines can help treat high blood pressure.
Gluten Intolerance and Gut instincts
No one would doubt that a pleasant and enjoyable meal, especially in good company, can be very satisfying, but there are times when what we eat can make us feel very uncomfortable indeed.
Keeping your medicines safe and secure
All medicines are required to have an expiry date printed on the label. Of course this is not an indication that after this date the medicine is suddenly useless or dangerous, but it does mean that beyond the designated “expiry date” the quality and effectiveness of the medicine cannot be guaranteed.
