Purple Pen Podcast

In a bumper episode, Kristin talks with ID physician and clinical microbiologist with Westmead Hospital and the Institute Of Clinical Pathology And Medical Research (ICPMR) Dr Indy Sandaradura.

They discuss all things clinical microbiology, from how tests are run to how microbiologists decide what to report, in terms of sensitivities and positive results.

Indy helps us understand why we still do Gram staining, first developed by Danish scientist Hans Christian Gram in 1884.

Kristin caught up with Dr David Woo, an Ophthalmic and Oculoplastics surgeon from the Sight Foundation at the Sydney Eye Hospital and the Sydney CBD eye clinic. We chat about orbital and periorbital cellulitis and other serious eye infections - including the red flags that differentiate these from common eye infections.

To find out more about Dr David, visit his website

Kristin was joined by Prof Sam Berkovic, Laureate Professor in the Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, and Director of the Epilepsy Research Centre at Austin Health.

They discuss the diagnosis, treatment and management of epilepsy, including emerging therapies.

Visit Prof Berkovic's University profile or the Epilepsy Research Centre's website for a list of his research.

Kristin chats to Professor David Kissane about psycho-existential symptoms in Palliative Care. David is a consultant psychiatrist in psycho-oncology and palliative care at Monash Health and the Department of Psychiatry at Monash University.

We talk about:

• the current state of palliative care in Australia

• why patients are are often scared of commencing palliative care

• Differences in palliative care patient experience in the context of oncology

• An exploration of the terms psycho-oncology and the existential approach

• the role of pharmacotherapy in psycho-oncology

Today we talk all things oral health with Mark Schifter with a particular focus on Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) and antibiotic use in dentistry

We welcome back Simon Lewis, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, who talks to Kristin about dementia.

They discuss the multiple types of dementia, as well as established and new treatment options.

You can learn more about Prof Lewis and his research at his website

Jane talks to Karlee Johnston, a pharmacist and PhD candidate at the Australian National University in Canberra. We talk about Karlee's recently published paper: Burnout and the challenges facing pharmacists during COVID‑19: results of a national survey (International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-021-01268-5)

Keep an eye out for the repeat survey through our social media channels and your professional organisation.

If this episode raises any issues for you or someone that you care about, contact:

• Pharmacists Support Services: https://www.supportforpharmacists.org.au/

• Beyond Blue: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

• Lifeline: https://www.lifeline.org.au/

Kristin spoke with Dr Eli Dabscheck and Dr Johnson George about all things Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) including:

• Risk factors
• Management
• Exacerbations of COPD and the issues around the appropriate use of antimicrobials in this situation
• The Therapeutic Guidelines and COPD-X Guideline recommendations
• Asthma and COPD overlap
• The benefits of medication reviews and COPD action plans

Kristin and Dan caught up with Associate Professor Vincent Lee for a discussion on all things Chronic Kidney Disease.

You can visit Vincent's Uni website here

Dan and Jane spoke to Dr Amy Bohren about recruitment for early career graduates. Amy is the Principal Consultant and Director of Red Careers Australia. We asked Amy for some tips to help interns and early career pharmacists navigate the recruitment process.

We discussed:

• Where to look for your dream job

• Whether you should directly call an employer about a job?

• How long an application letter and CV should be

• Tips for a successful interview

• Our favourite fonts (!)

If you'd like to contact Amy for some more advice or access the articles we discussed, you can contact her via https://redcareersaustralia.com/. You can mention the podcast for a special rate.