Join us as we talk with Prof Prash Sanders about the role of anticoagulation for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), learn when patients should be screened for AF, how to perform a stroke risk assessment and strategies to reduce the risk of bleeding. 

This podcast is in collaboration with Medcast and the Quality Use of Medicines Alliance, a provider of health professional education in Australia focused on the quality use of medicines. Check out their resources here.

Clinical guide: Anticoagulant management for AF

Anticoagulant patient care plan

Prof Prash Sanders is a cardiologist and electrophysiologist with a focus on heart rhythm disorders, particularly atrial fibrillation. He graduated with Honours from the University of Adelaide and completed advanced training in Melbourne and Bordeaux, France, earning national and international recognition for his research and clinical expertise.

He is the Clinical Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and holds the Knapman – National Heart Foundation Chair of Cardiology Research at the University of Adelaide. Dr Sanders has published over 600 papers and is a leader in advanced ablation techniques. He consults and performs procedures across multiple hospitals and regional clinics in South Australia.

Jarrah is a clinical pharmacist with a passion for education and quality use of data. He has led national health programs, including GP audit and feedback initiatives and Indigenous health nKPIs. He is currently clinical lead at MedCast, supporting best practice care through the Quality Use of Medicines Alliance.

Naloxone has been available in Australia without prescription since 2022 (after pilot programs through 2019-2021, analysis showed this trial saved 3 lives per day). Join us as Kristin and Nat talk naloxone with Pharmacist Emily Turkovic. Emily shares her personal story and why she is passionate about ensuring that naloxone is widely available in our community. Listen in for tips and tricks on how to broach the subject with patients and ways to de-stigmatise naloxone.

Resources:

Opioid Safety Toolkit

Free Take Home Naloxone training program

Find out more about the Take Home Naloxone program here.

Take Home Naloxone Program Resources

Listen in as Kristin chats with Dr Ian Heslop about the health care needs of travellers, covering topics such as traveller’s diarrhoea, altitude sickness and more. Listen until the end to find out what Ian brings in his travel medicine kit!

Ian is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Newcastle and has a strong background in Hospital Pharmacy and in academia. He was involved in the establishment of the Bachelor of Pharmacy program at James Cook University in Townsville - and whilst teaching at JCU, he completed his doctorate in travel health.

Listen in to our latest episode as Kristin chats with Chelsea Felkai about being a healthcare provider for patients with intellectual disability. Chelsea is a community pharmacist who is completing her PhD at the University of Newcastle.

You can find resources relating to the provision of inclusive healthcare and the NSQHS Standards User Guide for the Health Care of People with Intellectual Disability that Chelsea refers to in the podcast here.

Other resources include:

• PSA Medicine safety: disability care report https://www.psa.org.au/advocacy/working-for-our-profession/medicine-safety/disability-care/ 

• Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care - https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/our-work/intellectual-disability-and-inclusive-health-care 

• Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031 - https://www.disabilitygateway.gov.au/ads/strategy 

• NDIS - https://www.ndis.gov.au/

• NDIS – Consumables - https://ourguidelines.ndis.gov.au/would-we-fund-it/consumables 

• Guardianship Division - https://ncat.nsw.gov.au/how-ncat-works/ncat-divisions-and-appeal-panel/guardianship-division.html 

• Behaviour Support Plans - https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/rules-and-standards/behaviour-support-and-restrictive-practices 

• Easy Read - https://pwd.org.au/resources/easy-read-info/ 

• Ten Principles of Good Prescribing (British Pharmacological Society’s Principles for Good Prescribing 2010)

• Maudsley deprescribing guidelines for antidepressants, benzodiazepines, Gabapentinoids, and Z-drugs.

• PHARMACISTS OPTIMISING MEDICINES IN PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY AND AUTISM (POMPIDA) – Facebook group

• Public Hearing Report – Hearing 6 (Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability)

Join Natalie as she chats with Dermatologist A/Prof Deshan Sebaratnam about the management of acne. Listen in as they chat about over the counter treatment options, what may have changed in acne management and the effectiveness of isotretenoin.

A/Prof Sebaratnam, in addition to his private practice, as a specialist dermatologist at Liverpool and Dubbo Base Hospitals in NSW.

Tune in as Dr Sayontonee Ghosh gives an overview of TB including:

• Transmission 
• Diagnosis 
• Screening
• Symptoms 
• Treatment options 

Did you know that PPIs are one of the most commonly prescribed medications in Australia according to PBS data? Join Kristin for a deep dive into proton pump inhibitors as she chats with Gastroenterologist, Hepatologist and Gastrointestinal endoscopist, Dr Kostas Brooks.

What dose PPIs should patients actually be taking? How do you manage rebound symptoms? Listen in to find out.

Join Kristin as she chats with Dr Gaurav Sutrave to chat about emergening treatments for fungal infections.  Gaurav is a Staff Specialist Haematologist and Transplant and Cell Therapies Physician at Westmead Hospital, as well as the Medical Director for the Westmead T cell Therapies Laboratory.

Join Kristin and Nat as they chat with Shaylee Mills, The Rural Pharmacist.

Shaylee works in the beautiful Pilbara region of WA - google it - the scenery is spectacular! Although it is at least 17 hours drive from the nearest capital city (Perth) - Karratha is far from a small town and is home to around 22000 people. Shaylee shares what her world as a pharmacist looks like and some of the benefits (and challenges) of working rurally.

You can find Shaylee here and don’t forget to give Purple Pen a follow too!

Check out our latest episode as Kristin and Nat chat with Dr Jeremy McAnulty about the work undertaken by Public Health Units.

If you are from NSW, you may remember Dr McAnulty from the daily televised COVID updates  - Dr Jeremy McAnulty is a public health physician and Executive Director of Health Protection NSW at NSW Health, overseeing the statewide public health aspects of communicable disease control and environmental health. From 2020 to 2022 he headed NSW Health’s COVID Public Health Response Branch.