It’s World Mental Health Day. Dan and Kristin caught up with Dr Mark Cross, Psychiatrist and author. They discuss a range of mental health topics:

• changes in mental health literacy at a population level

• the mental health of health professionals

• mental health and well being in challenging times

• best practice prescribing of psychotropic medicines

You can read more about Mark’s work and his new book on the SANE Australia website.

Kristin is joined by Simon Lewis, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney to discuss Parkinson’s Disease.

We find out about:

• The link between COVID-19, Parkinson’s disease and your sense of smell 

• Risk factors and causes of Parkinson’s disease

• Non-motor features of Parkinson’s disease

• Therapeutic options for Parkinson’s disease

• Potential future therapies on their way

Kristin and Dan caught up with Alicia Martin, author of the recent paper Gender balance in pharmacy leadership: Are we making progress?. We discuss Alicia’s findings and how well Australian pharmacy organisations are doing at representing women in leadership positions.

Alicia’s paper on Science Direct

Follow Alicia on twitter

Kristin and Dan spoke to Professor Steve Vucic about Motor Neurone Disease (MND). Steve is a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Director of Neurophysiology and Consultant Neurologist at Westmead Hospital in Sydney.

We spoke about the basics of MND, current treatments and what the future may hold.

You can learn more about Steve’s work here: https://www.sydney.edu.au/medicine-health/about/our-people/academic-staff/steve-vucic.html

Kristin spoke to Dr Natasha Andreadis AKA the “Fanny Mechanic” a Integrative Fertility Specialist Gynaecologist Health Coach about all things In vitro fertilisation

In another best-of collection to celebrate our 100th episode, here are Kristin's Top Five favourite episodes:

Episode 65 - Surgery in the Victorian Era with Dr Lindsey Fitzharris, Author of "The Butchering Art"

Episode 83 - The Unexpected when you're Expecting with Dr Nisha Khot 

Episode 72 - Is your postcode making you sick? The Australian Atlas of Health Variation - with Professor Anne Duggan & Meredith Page

Episode 93 - Ophthalmic Emergencies with Dr Tanya Karaconji

Episode 73 - Faecal Microbiota Transplants with Dr Sam Costello

In another best-of collection to celebrate our 100th episode, here are Jane’s Top Five favourite episodes:

• Episode 64: Are We Wasting Our Patient’s Time? with Brian Dolan

• Episode 20: Heart Failure with Rochelle Gellatly

• Episode 59: Interventions to Improve Analgesic Prescribing with Jenny Stephens

• Episode 80: Peri-operative medicines management with Tanya Selak

• Episode 99: National Reconciliation Week with Chastina Heck and Aleena Williams

To celebrate our 100th episode, we’re bringing you some highlights packages. First up is a recap of our five most downloaded episodes:

• Episode 1: Antibiotic Allergies with Jason Trubiano (with an update for Episode 50)

• Episode 45: Why tramadol sucks with David Juurlink

• Episode 49: Cardiovascular Therapeutic Guidelines update with Jane O’Connor and Dan Scherer

• Episodes 55 and 56: Antibiotic pharmacokinetics with Jason Roberts

• Episode 70: Haematology Basics with Ian Bilmon

In an episode to mark National Reconciliation week, Dan and Kristin spoke to Chastina Heck and Aleena Williams. Chastina is a clinical pharmacist at Logan Hospital and an Associate Lecturer at the University of Queensland. Aleena is the Director of Immunisations at the Northern Territory Public Health Directorate.

Chas and Aleena are both proud Aboriginal women and pharmacists. In this episode, they share their personal and professional stories with us.

National Reconciliation Week is from May 27 to June 3 2020. You can learn more here.

Kristin flies solo this week to talk to Dr Lisa Kouladjian O'Donnell, a consultant pharmacist and postdoctoral research associate affiliated with the NHMRC Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre, The University of Sydney, and the Kolling Institute, Royal North Shore Hospital, NSW.

Kristin and Lisa discuss:

• definitions of polypharmacy and deprescribing

• drivers of polypharmacy

• at-risk populations

• a collaborative approach to deprescribing

• the Drug Burden Index (DBI) calculator

You can read more about Lisa’s work here.

The Goal-directed Medication review Electronic Decision Support System (G-MEDSS) is here.